The Fall of Olympus
by romeothewriter
Summary: America is under attack. Secretary of Defense Aubrey Posen has been taken into hiding within notorious Area 51. Chloe Beale, the late president's daughter and Aubrey's best friend, is now missing, and the new order is after her. Aubrey will need her old military company to aide her in the rescue, a company all with a deep secret and led by legendary Capt. Beca Mitchell. AU Bechloe
1. Once A Marine, Always A Marine

The Secretary of Defense was no stranger to war. She had been on the front lines in the Middle Eastern war. She had earned her stripes, maneuvering as first lieutenant to one of the most storied captains of their era in one of the most celebrated companies in the history of the Marine Corp, of the military actually, a company that had pulled off suicide missions and taken down one of the world's most sought after dictators without losing more than six soldiers in three years. What made the company most special however was the fact that it was headed by women. Yes, Secretary Aubrey Posen could never forget her countless tours in the middle East, and she knew that her old captain could not either. That was how, after being taken and tortured for a year before making a great escape and leading her company to her coordinates to take down the said dictators, her captain had been thrown into Atlanta's most prestigious psychiatric ward, Barden Asylum. In the eyes of her superiors, the tour had turned her to a cold-blooded killer, but Aubrey knew better. The tour only succeeded in breaking the vice grip the captain once had on an age old beast that lived within her. Their entire company had a beast of the sort, including Aubrey, which was how the company was formed to begin with. Yes, it was a secret that, if told, would definitely land you in Barden Asylum. No, the captain never divulged this secret, but her crazed slaughter of the entire Iraqi chain of command followed by nearly beating a Sergeant Major to death when he startled her awake led her to get help in the ward. It had been three years now, and Aubrey had not had an update. When her final tour was up, after receiving her many medals, she returned to Washington when her best friend's father began another presidential term. He chose her as Secretary of Defense in a time when the world was in for a shocking change. Indeed it had been on the brink since before Aubrey was enlisted, and it was the craziest tale known. Captain Beca Mitchell's company would forever be a mysterious entity because their road to notoriety was anything but orthodox. It had started eight years ago.

In 2016, the world was at war as a new dictator gained control of Iraq and most of the middle East. America was a target on all sides as they once again stepped foot amidst an altercation they had nothing to do with. Japan was waging on a nuclear war, the superiority of their weapons eclipsing all others. With the homeland under speculation and constant scrutiny beside a raging war across the water, young Colonel Luke Bryant was desperate. Less people were enlisting, which accounted for the Brit being thrown into an officer position just two months out of basic training, and more people were in hiding in anticipation of a much needed draft. It was then that he found a group of girls that had nowhere to go and nothing to do but had a special set of skills that the military needed more than anything at the time, special skills just like him. To the rest of the military, these types of human beings were myths, but Luke knew better. He saw the reality in the mirror each morning.

Luke knew these women in school before he was whisked away into the Marines at age sixteen for the first trial draft. The signs were obvious to him because he mirrored each of them. It was in the unbelievable IQ score, the astonishing athletic ability, the elegant grace of each step taken, the doctor-diagnosed ADHD that kept their senses on high alert. It was in the vivid cartoon-like eyes, the stunning beauty, the ridiculous reflexes they demonstrated. The sign that was most known and felt by all however was the intense heat radiating off of their body at all times. Yes, Luke knew then what they were. They were like him except they were all two years younger, but it never became a topic they spoke of. There was only one outsider in their group, but she was special. She was bright and sweet, and she was all for making friends. She was the daughter of a very important politician, a shoe-in for the oval office soon. She was a breath of fresh air to their dark pasts with her bubbly disposition, so she stayed. They hung out. They became a tight-knit group of friends with a deep secret in common. The tragedy that trailed them was hard to stomach. Most of them had no parents. A few were lucky to have one. Luke went off to the military in his sophomore year and left them behind. He never expected to need them four years later when Japan nuked Israel by accident or something, and America hastily stepped in as the middle East was taken by their most vicious dictator to date.

The first one of his kind Luke located when he was sent on a recruiting mission was not one he had intended on finding at all. She was a stranger to him, but he would later be glad that he found her regardless of the circumstances in which he did.

She was a rebel without a cause who didn't go to the high school, though she was supposed to. Her parents had died before her freshman year started, and she spent her times on the street. Luke had just returned from a tour in Afghanistan where they lost two thousand men. He was in Barden out to visit his old high school friends when the petite brunette attempted to mug him. He instantly felt the heat coming off of her, and he saw how quickly she moved. It started off as a simple robbery. It turned into Luke speaking to her about the military because let's face it. Although she was only sixteen, the military did not care anymore. They needed people. They needed these teenage girls.

"_I know you're different," he hissed to her. "You're special, and we need people like you."_

_"You have no idea what I am," the brunette growled, placing the knife on the skin of his neck, a look of deranged malice in her steel blue eyes._

_"Yes, I do. I am one of you."_

_She froze then, observing him a moment before she looked up into icy blue eyes, a vivid hue that told a story. She then realized the heat had intensified between them. She wasn't the only one running a fever. Her eyes widened. _

_"How-"_

_"That doesn't matter. There are more though. If you join the Marines, they will take care of you. I can make you a captain in no time. I can put you in a position of power just like me. You will blow through basic training as I did. You'll be an officer."_

_"Don't you need to go to school for that?"_

_He chuckled. "Look, no one cares anymore. We're in the midst of a world war. They need you more than you need them. They need us."_

With the discovery of Beca Mitchell came the search for Aubrey and her high school crew. Beca and Luke could sense them, and it didn't take long before they found the crew. Aubrey was drinking herself to death over the stress of the upcoming pre-law school admissions and trying to impress her father. She was also lost without Chloe beside her, the bubbly redhead they had kept around for her optimism. She was now living in the white house as her father, Evan Beale, was now president. Cynthia Rose was running from a debt accrued due to her gambling habit. Lily was under speculation about a murder in Northern Atlanta. Stacie was out on the streets and on her back more often than not, and Amy was tearing up her life as the class clown and least likely to succeed. They had failed because of what they had been burdened with. Their specialties had riddled them unable to find passion in anything. They were far beyond any occupation they could find. College had not been the goal, and they had begun to drown together, but Luke came along with a win-win situation.

_"The military?" Aubrey scoffed. "Luke, are you crazy?"_

_"Aubrey," he sighed, a hand on her shoulder. "They take care of us. Come on. I mean think about this. In high school, we were all miserable. Our future's were as dark as our pasts, and we were bored with everything. Trust me when I say that the military can fix that. It's a rush not even our ADHD can deny us. It's a great gig."_

_"My father will kill me, Luke, and you know it! I have to go to law school."_

_"Bree, our country needs us, okay? That psychopath in the middle east has his guns trained on us, and if we don't do this, you won't have a home to go to, much less a law school. They need us. They don't know what we are, but they need us."_

_"How? How did you explain your specialties to them?"_

_"I didn't. I controlled myself, and I only went slightly above average in training, but it doesn't take much when each class is coming in with fourteen or fifteen guys tops."_

_"You really think this is for us?"_

_"I know it is. Bree, I can't leave you here to drink your life away. I can't walk away from how all of my friends are drowning in this place. If Cynthia Rose spends another minute here, those bookies are going to string her up and skin her. We've been given a gift. How can we sit here and let it go to waste?"_

_Aubrey thought a moment, looking over at Amy, who was usually always with her since both of Amy's parents had been killed in a plane crash on the way back to visit their home in Tasmania. Amy nodded confidently at her._

_"Okay," she at last sighed. "Okay, we'll come."_

One by one, each woman was enlisted and thrown into basic training where they awed every superior in the military. They moved up quickly, Beca assuming position as captain with Aubrey her first lieutenant. They found more of their kind soon after in Jessica, Denise, Ashley, Jesse and Benji, and no one even cared if they were all just kids, seventeen and sixteen years old. America needed heroes, and no one fit the bill better than this group of misfits.

Over the course of three years, Captain Mitchell's company had neutralized hundreds of threats, taken down the feared dictator of Iraq and gave their country peace of mind. They were young, but they were far more skilled than most vets, and they became the pinnacle of the American military. They were sure that they had single-handedly preserved America and thwarted the war. Oh, how wrong they were.

Aubrey had just returned from a conference in Seattle, and President Beale was sat in his oval office. She had just visited Chloe, still her best friend after all of those years, and everything was looking up. It had been three years since that final tour that ripped their company apart. They dispersed all over the country, both Lily and Beca ending up in psychiatric wards. Now Aubrey had a much higher job to do. She had just walked into her own office. Then it were as if time halted as the first blasts hit the west wing of the White House. Within minutes, it was nothing more than rubble, and everyone was trying to escape. Chloe had just left home to meet friends in town, and it was the only reason Aubrey was able leave as quickly as she had. She had not waited around to find out who or how or why. That day marked a dark turn for her country, and she had been taken into hiding by a small battalion of secret service men that had not turned against their country.

_"Where is President Beale?" Aubrey screeched at the driver._

_"Miss Posen, the president is dead," he replied softly._

_"Wh-what? Where is-"_

_"We do not have a location on the first lady or Miss Chloe as of yet, but we are taking you out of here. The Secretary of State, Vice President Gifford, nearly the entirety of our congress have been murdered. Washington is under attack by unknown enemies, and they come in many numbers."_

_"Is it Japan? The middle east?"_

_"From what I've seen, Miss Posen, they look-American."_

_"What?"_

_"Yes, but we do not have time to dwell on that now. I have strict orders to get you out of here safe and sound."_

Aubrey was ushered out of Washington, swapping many different cars and taking several trains until she was safely brought to Nevada where they had a safe house set up beneath the infamous grounds of Area 51. Along the way, they had received confirmation that the first lady had also been killed in the massacre that followed the bombings. The Pentagon had been destroyed along with several other prestigious buildings such as the Capitol and dozens of monuments and museums. Quanico had been hit hard, the CIA left in chaos. America was being invaded and overrun, and the last of the great country's independence became a memory.

Six months after going into hiding, Aubrey had watched, in disbelief, the takeover the forces that now ran America under police states and high anarchy. This new government, like the survivors of the old, were now hidden, ruling over radio airwaves and television sets, through puppets in state governments and public figures. The man that now called himself president was what people believed to be an anti-christ of sorts. Chloe had been missing, unaccounted for since her father was killed, and Aubrey had created a network throughout the fifty states to cooperate and track down the girl. There were wanted posters from the new order all over with her face plastered on them, fiery red locks and brilliant blue eyes. She knew something that she shouldn't. She must have seen something that day she wasn't supposed to before her escape, and the new president had hordes of foot soldiers looking for her. Aubrey knew she could no longer sit back. She had no idea who these people were or how they had taken America so quickly, but she had to find out. She had to find her best friend before they did. She needed her team however. It was the only option left.

The dark SUV pulled into the tall iron gates of the water-stained brick building under a shower of rain. It was the dead of the night, and it had taken many weeks to infiltrate the place, to ensure a safe arrival for the secretary. The new president had eyes everywhere, and Aubrey was also wanted. What Aubrey had deducted was that they were not facing one of their own kind. He would have already sniffed her out. She was just focused on getting the team back together, and they would then research the issues together.

Aubrey and Beca had butted heads many a time during basic training. They had battled for dominance on multiple occasions. Aubrey was strategic and stubborn in her ways of doing things. Beca was all for spontaneity and unorthodox game plans. It took them two entire tours before they were able to work with each other without constant bickering and disagreement. They compromised, and it had brought home medals and glory in powerful measure. They would need that work ethic now more than anything.

_"Posen, you really need to take that stick out of your ass," Beca grunted._

_"How very professional of you, Captain," Aubrey growled as they stood face to face in their tent._

_They had been in the center of the Iraqi desert for three months now. Tensions were high and tolerance was low. The two bickered more like an old married couple than a superior and her right-hand woman. Beca wasn't much for the whole 'insult me and I'll punish you' thing. Besides, getting Aubrey worked up was the only entertainment she had besides Amy's constant jokes and far-fetched tales. Jesse's retelling of his favorite movies wasn't all that filling either._

_"You know, you're smart," Beca went on, a hand running down Aubrey's arm that made her both uneasy and warm. "You need to understand that we can't account for every possibility. Something can always change the game, and we can be up shit's creek without a paddle. I'm not trying to make you angry or tense, but I need you to trust me. Don't trust me as your captain but as your lifelong-bound companion because when these uniforms come off, Aubrey, you and I are still the same thing. Now, we can work together. You give me a blueprint, and I handle specifics. I'm not any more superior than you in my mind. We're a team. Can we do that?"_

_Aubrey took in a deep breath. "Yes, we can."_

_"Smile for me, Bree."_

_The smile was reflexive at the nickname. "You should take your own advice sometime, Becs."_

_And she did._

Aubrey was escorted by three of her best agents through a side entrance. Two orderlies met them there, and they ushered her back to the solitary cells in the depth's of Barden Asylum's basement. They unlocked a heavy door, pulling it open carefully. Aubrey peered inside until her eyes fell upon her intended target. There sat a petite brunette at a small metal desk tapping her fingers in an erratic beat against the top. Looking at the tiny woman, you would never guess that she was sick. She had always been pale, and her eyes remained that old electrifying navy blue. Her skin was fair, and her face was full, a slender look to it but not sickly thin. Her body remained toned in all the right places, the intricate tattoos along her body all telling a story of her troubled past. The scars did the same. However, she still looked like the great captain Aubrey had last seen three years prior. Of course, she was there for an internal struggle and not a an external one. She turned in her seat when the door opened, and her eyes locked on Aubrey's emerald green ones. The orderlies closed the door behind the secretary, giving the two women privacy. Neither woman smiled. Beca stood, a straight posture that rivaled the blonde's, and they stared into one another's eyes for a few minutes before breaking the silence.

"They've taken over the government," Beca got straight to the point.

"I don't know who or how, but this is serious," Aubrey replied curtly. "They're after the president's daughter. She has something they want, and I don't know what it is, but we have to find her first."

"We? I'm not a Marine anymore, Posen."

"You will always be a Marine, Mitchell, but more so, you will always be a shifter."

"Yes, a sickness we cannot cure."

"Well, that _sickness _saved millions of lives a few years ago if you recall. We're the only hope left."

"Where are the others?"

"Our network is zoning in on their hideouts as we speak. We fear that they may have found Luke already. Lily's here. She was moved back here about a year ago."

"Yeah, I've seen her a few times, but we never get a chance to talk."

"The others are close, possibly back here in Barden. I can sense them. We're the last hope here, Mitchell, but though I hate to admit it, we're nothing without our captain."

"You're serious about this?"

Aubrey handed out a stack of documents. "This is your release. My agents are retrieving Lily as we speak. I've never been more serious. Chloe Beale is my best friend, and she may also be the key to our salvation."

"They're just-gonna let me out?"

Aubrey's professional demeanor faltered now, a soft smile playing across her lips. "You and I both know you're not crazy, Becs. This is us, what we are. You attacked that Sergeant on reflex. It's how we work."

Beca now looked down at her feet, and Aubrey could read it instantly. "You know something, don't you? What is it?"

"Aubrey, those-men that took over the presidency, they're no normal men."

"Shifters?"

"I wouldn't exactly say that, but they are surely on our level of supernatural mythical creatures. One of them came here. I could feel the ice of his skin. It even made me shudder. His eyes were, dead. One of the patients threw a punch at him, and it sounded as if he hit glass. Like, he literally broke his hand on the guy's abs. I-I don't exactly know what they are, but their not mere mortals, and a lot of the orderlies see it but look-like zombies when they come around. They're not normal at all."

"Neither are we, Mitchell, and we need to figure it out. Fast."

In a span of three weeks, Aubrey and Beca were able to reassemble their company underground, hidden away from those after them. It wasn't long after that when more wanted posters were up for Beca and Lily, escapees from Barden Asylum and considered extremely dangerous. Aubrey and Beca had located their entire team in Barden. Cynthia Rose was playing craps in one of its A-List casinos when she was abducted by the black SUV. Jessica, Denise and Ashley were working at the cafe Jessica had opened a year prior, struggling to keep afloat with the economy crashing. Amy was down at a comedy club for open mic night. Jesse was at a film festival with Benji, and Stacie was at a dance club taking shots. They were doing much better than they had been before the military of course, but each and every one was more than excited when they saw Aubrey, Beca and Lily for the first time in three years. They now sat around a large table, awaiting a meal prepared by the wives of Aubrey's last standing counterparts from the old government. Their hideaway, the notorious Area 51, was now home to at least two hundred people, and Aubrey and her camp worked in the very depths of the place surrounded by computers and tracking devices of sorts. They were steady trying to locate Chloe now that they had their company back.

"Where's Luke?" Jesse asked as he sipped his coffee.

"We-don't know as of yet," Aubrey replied. "We believe that they may be after him, and they're closing in. I've been trying to get a track, but no such luck as of yet."

"Why would they be after Luke?"

"They slaughtered just about everyone in the military's chain of command. Luke would have been next in line as Colonel, and you already know that Luke would not have agreed to go against this country. The last time I talked to him was the week before the White House bombing. He said he was back in Barden, but that he felt like he was being watched. Then the general was killed, and the wanted posters went up for Luke and Chloe."

"We'll need to split up soon," Beca entered now. "Once we have a plan of action, we break off into teams. We have to find Luke, and we have to find Chloe, preferably before they're found by our great president. Now, does anyone have an idea of where either of them _could_ be?"

"Well, Chloe's mother is from Athens, Georgia, right?" Cynthia Rose offered.

"I checked there," Aubrey responded. "It's hard to track because she isn't like us."

"Well, what if we-found her scent somehow?" Jesse offered. "Do you have anything that belonged to her?"

"No, but-maybe we would be able to find her scent at their summer home. I doubt its been touched. It's in Tahiti. I've wanted to check there, but it was too risky on my own."

"Okay, and what about Luke?"

"He lived on the base in Washington but like I said, he was back to Barden. He isn't there though. I'm not even sure if he's in the country."

"Well, if Luke thought someone was watching him, you know he booked it out of there the moment the first bomb dropped."

"If they find him, what can happen?" Stacie asked.

"Well, they would be able to use him against us for one," Beca replied. "He's one of our own. If they can figure out his weaknesses or anything of the sort, I doubt they're much different from the rest of ours. They would have an advantage."

"Okay, so..." Benji sighed. "Well, we can shift. Fly to Tahiti. It'll take some time because none of us are in the bird set except Beca, but."

"We must be careful," Lily said in her usual hiss of a tone, and everyone strained to hear her. "The one that came to the hospital, he-sniffed me or something. He could have my scent."

"Yeah, our scent stays the same in any form," Beca interjected. "That's how we found each other in the Iraqi palace. Even when Jessica was a house cat, I could sense her. It's just-I don't know how their senses differ from ours."

"So we need to get one of them as well," Aubrey concluded. "We need to study them. They'e in hiding too though."

"But in plain sight a lot of times," Lily went on. "I took their scent too."

"Yeah, they actually do smell a bit weird," Beca backed her.

Aubrey nodded then continued with a plan. "Okay, so Beca, Jesse and I will go to Tahiti. Lily, Benji, and Cynthia Rose will try to find one of these guys, do some research on them. Jessica, Ashley and Denise will head to our safehouse in Texas to see if anyone has heard from Luke. We lost contact with a lot of the network there a few days ago. Stacie and Amy, I need you guys to get in touch with the other networks. Compile an update and then head to Athens. Maybe there's something I missed. I checked four months ago, and Chloe may have made her way back."

"Either way, the girl's good," Beca sighed. "She's a mortal, and she hasn't been found yet with all of those wanted posters."

"Let's just hope it's only us and the big guy that want her."


	2. Flashbacks and Echoes

**_A/N: Welcome back to my loyal fans. Yeah, this is a big difference from the last fic, I know, but I hope it's a good kind of different. I really like the storyline I have going, so I hope you do too. It's gonna be a lot in the beginning, and we gotta wait a bit for Chloe, but trust me. Good things come to those who wait. And no, this isn't a Triple Treble story. I'm not yet sure where I'm going with the Mitchsen thing. It may or may not be a one-sided. It could just be an awkward friendship. We'll see. Anyway, keep with the reviews and let me know if I should keep going. Here's a big chapter. _**

_Denial. The first stage when tragedy strikes. It hit thirteen-year-old Beca with a surprise attack. Her life had been just fine. Her mother and father were happily married. He was a professor at Barden University, and she owned a bakery on campus. They had family bonding every weekend, and Diane Mitchell gave her daughter the love of music. Music could express every emotion known to man. It fed the soul with rich nutrients and careful understanding. Cal Mitchell had his daughter reading when she was three. She had always been smart, and her parents were sure she was going to be a genius. She was walking at six months, skipping over the whole crawling stage. She was bright, athletic, sharp but most of all, she was happy. Well, that all changed much too quickly for a new teenager. Then the insane IQ score and starting position on every sports team in school didn't matter much anymore._

_The day was a blur. Beca walked home from school. She was used to her parents coming home a couple of hours after she arrived. It was no big deal. It was Friday afternoon, and they would be working a bit later to get the week rounded out right. This weekend would consist of a camping trip, and Beca was excited. Her father had taught her how to shoot a bow three years prior, and that meant that hunting was in order the following morning. When a knock nearly took out the front door, Beca quickly grabbed her trusty pocket knife and answered it. It was not her parents. It was Professor Atkinson, her father's coworker. _

_"Beca, I need you to come with me," she hastily instructed._

_"Why, Auntie Tara?" she asked, confusion etched in her young face._

_"I'll explain on the way. Just please, come on."_

_Once the older woman began speaking in the car, everything was a haze. Beca could only recall one part of the entire conversation afterwards._

_"...and this boy was very angry at your dad about the grade, so-when your parents were leaving, he-he came into the parking lot a-and shot them..."_

_Beca didn't hear the apologies, the words of comfort. After a few hours in the hospital waiting room, a surgeon confirmed her worst fears. Her parents were gone, and there was nothing anyone could do. They tried to cheer her up by saying the student was in custody. She didn't care. It would not bring them back. Nothing could. She had lost the only real family she had over a bad English Literature grade. What the hell could console that reality?_

_Beca spent three days with Professor Atkinson and her daughter, not shedding any tears. She kept her headphones on and her iPod turned all the way up. She had never had much friends. She only needed her parents. No one in school ever noticed her. She was in denial. No, her parents were just playing an April Fool's joke. It was April first. That's what they did. It was sick, but it was a joke. They would come, and she would laugh because she couldn't be mad. She just wanted them home. Then the funeral came. She peered inside the two coffins side by side, and everything began to set in. She placed a hand on her father's. His body temperature had always been ridiculously hot, the heat radiating off of him in waves. Not today. It was cold as ice. Anger, pain, sadness, rage, confusion and more pain descended upon young Beca, and she whirled around, darting out of the chapel despite the many people calling her name. She lost herself in the woods north of Barden, running until she was numb all over, trying to escape all of the emotions. She at last collapsed, and they all came crumbling down upon her. She was suddenly aware of everything, the number of leaves on each tree, the sound of water up ahead, the different critters running across the ground. She then noticed that her body was hot, very hot. It wasn't unpleasant. It was just hot. It was like a blanket was wrapped around her. It felt the way her father's skin had always felt. Then everything around her began to go in and out of focus. Everything became a blur. Her body seemed as if it were melting away. Now the heat was a bit overwhelming. She stumbled towards the water, reaching a small pond where the sun slightly filtered through the trees. She collapsed beside the water then as her body continued to distort around her. Her eyes shut tight, and she went completely numb in the physical sense. When she at last opened her eyes again and gained feelings in her limbs, she leaned forward and peered down into the water. She made out her steely blue eyes in the crystal surface, but the rest of her was unfamiliar. There was no thirteen-year-old girl standing there. Instead stood a large wolf with chocolate-covered fur and her eyes. She knew she should panic. She knew she should reach up and slap herself to awaken her from what had to be a dream, but when she looked down, all she saw were massive paws with razor-sharp claws. The crazy thing? She couldn't bring herself to panic. It all felt so natural that her body refused to freak out._

_She had no idea how long she sat there, but soon, the anger she held earlier dissipated, and with it, went the wolf. Soon she sat there naked and alone in her human body, but she didn't care. She was enthralled by what had just taken place. It was a rush that drew her mind from the last few days, the loss of her family. Once she was sure she was wide awake, she allowed herself to think back to her parents' murders, to be engulfed by the rage until at last, the wolf returned. She knew then that it was real, and she knew then that she didn't have to be afraid, so she began to run, and she never planned to stop..._

The following morning found the team wide awake bright and early. Beca packed a small messenger bag with clothing, her cell phone, and a dagger she had claimed in Egypt on her first tour. There was a good chance she would have to carry Aubrey and Jesse to save time as well. The wolf was her best phase as it was her first, but she tried with other animals too, and she was able to do so. The rest of her team had an animal set they preferred and performed best in. They could change into anything they pleased but never for too long out of their set, and it ate up their energy quickly. Beca was different however. She could change into anything at any given time for as long as she pleased. It was why she had been named captain.

"You ready?" Aubrey asked softly, patting the smaller woman's shoulder as they emerged above ground.

"I guess so," Beca sighed. "I haven't shifted in three years. I probably could have broken out of Barden, scared the shit out of some people along the way."

"Yeah, that's for sure. The last thing we needed was that."

"Yeah, I know. That's why I never did I guess. I didn't really care where I was anymore. I didn't have a home, and I wasn't sure how I could ever go back to the military. I just settled I guess."

"Well, cheer up. We get to be heroes again."

"You know, Aubrey, when they took me in, I wasn't sure if I should've been mad or just plain hurt about it all. I never meant to hurt that guy. I mean, I had just spent a year in a torture chamber. What the hell did he expect?"

Aubrey ran her finger thoughtlessly along the storied scar that ran a trail across the captain's face softly. It was the scar that would have left a normal human's eye useless. Not Beca though. She remembered when they at last found the captain after that year. She was battered almost beyond recognition. She had been badly injured in the ambush that blew up their Humvee when she was taken as a prisoner. She was much too weak to shift for a very long time, and the continuous torture slowed the healing process over a year. When she was at last able to shift again, she made her great escape and called in the company to take down the dictatorship.

"Beca, like I said, you and I are both well aware you're not crazy. None of us know what you went through down there, but you kept us safe. We refused to come home without you, and I'm glad we did. I'm not losing you again."

Aubrey was not sure what feelings she had for the brunette, but all she knew was that she had missed the woman more than anyone else, though she would never admit it aloud. It was the way she carried herself. Beca was all that Aubrey strived to be, a rebel of independence playing by her rules but managing to stand for her team. Before the military, Aubrey had abided strictly by all of her father's rules and regulations, striving to reach his ridiculous standards to perfection. Beca was much more than boundaries and rules. She was a protector of her pack. Beca would never admit it either. She had always been a recluse, but she had dearly missed her company.

As the sun rays began to peek over the horizon, Aubrey knew that it was time. Jesse appeared beside them.

"Ready?" he asked.

The other two women nodded then the trio shut their eyes. Their company watched as the figures blurred slowly like ripples in water. Seconds later, three beautiful falcons took flight, messenger bags slung over their massive bodies, ascending quickly and darting south towards the Pacific. When their comrades disappeared into the clouds, the others geared up, saying their "see ya later's" as they always had back on active duty because saying goodbye was too final. A few minutes passed, and several other species of bird dispersed and headed off towards their mission.

It was a long flight to Tahiti, and Jesse and Aubrey had to rest many times as they weren't part of the preferred fowl species. Beca soon phased into a larger condor, and she was able to carry them a significant distance to save time as they phased to anything from hummingbirds to small rodents of sorts. At last, they reached the shores of the beautiful island, collapsing on warm sand and taking in heavy breaths. They had been bare naked in front of one another many times. They were used to it. They rested a few minutes before Beca dropped the bags, and they retrieved their clothes. They each pulled on thick black shorts and a tanktop. It had always been difficult phasing during their tours. They had not been able to carry weapons or anything of the sort, but who needed weapons when they could instantly become the most dangerous predators in the world? That's the way Beca saw it. With that thought, she huffed and stripped down once more.

"We should probably just phase," she sighed, grabbing her belt and tying the clothes and the dagger tightly around her ankle, Aubrey and Jesse following suit quickly. "Okay, where is this place?"

Aubrey was silent a moment, her eyes shut as she tried to catch a scent of her friend. At last, her eyes fluttered open.

"I have Evan's scent," she informed them, headed up into the trees. "Come on."

Beca and Jesse followed swiftly, and in a few seconds, three wolves broke into a sprint through the jungle, easily dodging trees and low branches. Aubrey's milky white fur was the guiding light for her chocolate-colored captain and her silver-haired officer. The sun filtered through the treetops here and there, the ground beneath them damp. Aubrey avoided mud holes and other obstructions until they at last reached a clearing. They came to a halt, a large house of white walls and high towers visible beside the shore. It looked very much like a castle with intricate designs and a veranda wrapping it. They trotted down to it slowly, checking their surroundings with intent eyes as they reached the porch. When they were sure it was clear, they changed form once more and pulled on their clothes with haste. Beca tucked the dagger into her belt, Aubrey and Jesse mimicking the action with their own chosen close-combat weapons, before ascending the stairs.

"Where's the first lady?" Beca asked thoughtfully, looking up at the large blue door. "Was there a first lady?"

"Isn't there always a first lady?" Jesse asked.

"She-uh, she was killed after the bombings by the-terrorists."

"Does-anyone know about us?" Jesse inquired. "What we are?"

"No, not a soul but us," Aubrey replied. "We can't curse anyone with that information outside of our company."

"Or trust them with it," Beca added.

"Yeah, that either."

Aubrey quickly made work of the locks on the door, and she opened it swiftly. The house, even after being vacant for many months, lacked any type of dust or grime. There were many paintings lining the wall, elegant furniture peppering the foyer. The living room stood to their left, a large dining room to their right, and the staircase directly before them. Beca now took the lead, ascending the stairs up to the second floor. There were four doors. Checking each one, they stopped when they found a room painted a bright yellow with pink skirting at the bottom of the walls.

"This is so Chloe," Aubrey gasped as they entered.

"This is so bright," Beca huffed.

There was a white wooden desk adjacent to a queen-sized bed. A large TV hung from the wall over the desk, and there were shelves filled with books, movies and CDs lining the third wall. A doorway leading into a bathroom lay across from the shelves. The carpet below their feet was a crisp white. The desk had a few notebooks, several perfume bottles, and a cup full of various writing utensils. Posters were pinned above the bed of famous singers. Aubrey approached the bed, picking up the pillow and taking in a deep whiff. She did this a few more times, trying to familiarize herself with the scent.

"It's weak, but it will work," she assured them, pulling off the pillow case and handing it over to Beca. Beca took in a deep whiff, and the scent that entered her nostrils was inebriating. It was a mixture of fresh fruit and floral smells. It took over her senses easily, leaving a haze upon her mind. She took in another breath, memorizing the scent desperately. At last, she composed herself and handed over the fabric to Jesse. Aubrey had quirked an eyebrow at the facial expression that had passed over the brunette's face but said nothing. Jesse handed the pillow case back to Aubrey, and she folded it up neatly, stashing it in her pocket.

They searched the rest of the house for any other evidence or clues they could find. The final door on the third floor was what they assumed to be the president's private study. They checked every shelf and drawer. They found an array of handguns, a few of which Beca stored in her bag, and some various documents within. One such document caused Beca to pause. It seemed like an itinerary of sorts. It was dated three days before Evan was killed.

"Aubrey, when was the last time they were here?" she asked.

"Mrs. Beale and Chloe were here for two weeks. It was right before the bombing. They came back the day I left for a conference in Seattle."

"Did you know of any other family?"

"I-no. Chloe only spoke of her parents."

Beca continued to look over the document. They had departed on May eleventh, back to the white house. Chloe was scheduled to visit an aunt three days later.

"She never mentioned an aunt?" she proceeded.

"No, why?" Now Aubrey came to her side.

"It says she was scheduled to visit 'Aunt Kelly in Miami' on the fourteenth."

"Aunt Kelly? Sounds familiar but not from Chloe. The fourteenth was the day of the bombing."

"You're sure she didn't have any other family?"

"I-no, I'm very sure she said she only had her parents. It was the day I told her about my mother passing. She said that if she lost her parents, she wouldn't know what to do or where to go because they were the only family she had, and I told her she would always have me."

Beca dug back into the drawer she had pulled the document from, but other than a few pictures and cooking recipes, there was nothing more. Beca stopped, thinking for a moment. There was something very unsettling about the itinerary. If she had no other family, who was Aunt Kelly? Why was the itinerary here? Why had it been left, and who had typed it up? There was something that they were missing. She bent down once more, placing her hand to the bottom of the drawer. Aubrey gave her a curious look as Jesse appeared beside them. Beca then lifted her hand slightly, balling it into a fist and knocking on the smooth wood. The sound caused the trio to glance at one another. Beca pulled the drawer out, setting it atop the desk. Yes, it was slightly deeper than it originally appeared. She took the letter opener she found in another drawer, sliding it between the bottom of the drawer she pulled out and the front wall, allowing her to pry up the false bottom. When she removed the board, she found a manila envelope. She pulled it out with a glance at Aubrey and flipped it open. Placing it on the desk and sitting in the chair, she allowed Jesse and Aubrey to read over her shoulders. As they read, their eyes grew wider, and their heart rates sped up. The words caused their breaths to hitch. They could not believe all of the different documents enclosed, the different photos of Chloe and a woman with long, stringy blonde hair and a gaunt face. The caption read "Red and Aunt Kelly", but the documents said otherwise.

"Does-this mean that-President Beale knew about the attack?" Jesse asked in a hushed tone as Aubrey took one of the pictures.

"It sure seems that way," Beca huffed.

"She-she left the day of the bombing," Aubrey breathed. "Like literally, right before. She said she was going with her friends into town."

"Did you ever meet these friends?"

"No."

"And she was home schooled, right?"

Realization dawned now. "How could I be such a total idiot?"

"No, Aubrey, I think that this was exactly how it was supposed to go. President Beale knew what was going to happen. He sent Chloe away that day to protect her."

"Okay, so-they knew. The question is how?"

"Yeah, how because that would certainly pass as treason in the old country," Jesse scoffed. "There are so many missing pieces to the puzzle."

"But this is good," Beca went on. "Chloe could still be in Miami. She could be with this woman, Kelly. We can track her scent there. They probably didn't leave an address just in case it _wasn't_ you that checked this place first, you know?"

"Yeah, and it was such a close call too," Jesse suddenly cut in.

"What?"

"We have company."

As he said that, Beca and Aubrey caught a whiff of another scent. It was alien to Aubrey, but Beca had certainly encountered it before.

"Do you think they followed us here?" Aubrey asked.

"No," Beca replied instantly, her eyes shut as she focused on the visitors coming up the beach. "No, they're just checking a lead. Come on."

The trio was downstairs in a flash, and they were able to make out five towering men approaching the house, a confident aura about them. There was no way they were aware of the current occupants. Beca quickly turned on the stove, burning up the documents on Chloe and her "aunt" immediately aside from the picture Aubrey now possessed while Jesse relocked the door. They no longer needed the papers. Everything was memorized now. When the papers were nothing more than ash, she shut off the flame.

"If we attack, we can't have any survivors," Beca hissed. "They cannot see us phase, so you are going to need to take preferred form."

Her counterparts nodded as they quickly stripped down and stepped away from one another. Within seconds, the small brunette was replaced with the familiar deep brown wolf. Jesse disappeared in a haze only to reveal a towering black bear. Aubrey fizzled out and left standing in her place was a lean lioness. They all took positions flanking the door just as footsteps echoed upon the porch. The door handle jiggled slightly for a moment then there was a light chatter before the door was disturbed once more. Beca crouched low just inside the kitchen, awaiting the chance to pounce. Jesse was pressed against the wall, a small extension separating him from the door. Aubrey was just beyond the staircase, hidden well enough by it from the door's angle. When it at last opened, the first two men barreled in. Two more followed while the final man surveyed the outside of the house.

_"WAIT FOR IT...WAIT FOR IT..." _Beca thought in her mind, Aubrey and Jesse able to hear their captain transport the words into their minds. "NOW!"

Beca lunged at a tall, burly man just as he turned into the kitchen, sharp teeth easily clamping down and ripping out his vocal cords. Jesse literally took another man into a back-breaking bear hug, the snap of his spine resonating through the house. Aubrey's jaws tore through a third man's esophagus just as the fourth man hollared. The hollar was stifled by Beca's jaws closing around his waist and snapping him nearly in two. When the fifth man rounded into the house, he was met with Jesse's claws to his his chest. Jesse lifted him high into the air before slamming him down on the floor, a loud crack echoing. Silence fell for a moment before Beca phased back into her human form. Pulling on her clothes swiftly, she retreated back to their victims and kneeled beside one. She took a deep breath.

"These aren't those-things from the president," she concluded, patting down the man. "They have the scent on them, but they're just humans."

"That's a good thing, right?" Jesse questioned, pulling his shirt over his head.

"You can call it that, I suppose."

"Look, if we do run into those things, I think we should probably try the whole hand-to-hand combat first," Aubrey huffed. "These are just mercenaries, but like Lilly said, they might be able to hone in on a scent and recognize it as unordinary. Besides, I'm sure that the new order has eyes on all of its 'special' soldiers. If they saw over-sized animals, they would know something was up."

"Yeah, I guess I didn't think about it," Beca admitted. "I mean, I figured we start off phased, so we didn't have to do it mid-battle, you know."

"It's understandable. I just-ugh, we really just need Lily to get some information."

"Yeah, it would definitely help."

Beca then pulled out the wallet of her first victim, a dark-skinned man with a curly afro. As she pulled his ID, she hissed.

"What?" Aubrey questioned, and Beca held up the card. "Randall McKale. Wait...Unicycle? Ugh, I should have recognized him."

"I didn't give you much of a chance," Beca huffed.

"So that means that they have Bumper and his idiot minions after Chloe too."

"What the hell is his deal anyway? He was such a prick in basic training, and he was always trying to outdo the entire company."

"He went to school with us. He was just competitive, and-well, we beat him in the talent show one year. He never let it go."

"Seriously? You mean he's a douchebag traitor over a high school talent show?"

"Middle school talent show actually. Now, he's after Chloe too. He asked her out in high school, but she was loyal to us. She knew we didn't like him."

"Wow, this seems like the drama you shouldn't have to worry about in the midst of a fuckin' apocalypse. Someone needs to smash that guy's face in."

"I'm sure we'll be seeing him soon. I only recognize Unicycle and Greg here, so that means Bumper and his other close partners are still out there."

"That prick Donald is probably still hanging on his nuts too, right?" Jesse hissed.

"I can guarantee it."

"Well, I think we're okay for now," Beca sighed. "You two get some rest before we head out, and I'll keep watch." Aubrey opened her mouth to contest, but the captain caught her. "No arguments, Posen. I know the shifting tired you out. Just turn it in."

When Beca was sure that Aubrey and Jesse were fast asleep on the couches, she crept back upstairs to Chloe's room. She looked around, observing each detail of the place including every CD title and movie case. She chuckled when she saw an old Ella Fitzgerald record on the shelf. It had been one of her mother's favorites. She continued over to the desk, sitting down and taking a photograph leaning against the wall in her hands. She was sure that it was Chloe, and it was more recent than the one with her "Aunt Kelly". Beca could not believe how beautiful the girl was with her long, wavy red hair and intense blue eyes, eyes that reminded her so much of her own. They looked like the eyes of a shifter, vivid and deep, but she knew she was wrong. Aubrey and the others had known her a long time, and she was no shifter. Either way, her eyes were brilliant cerulean pools, deep as the ocean and just as captivating. Beca couldn't help but smile. The girl was indeed gorgeous, and it disgusted her to think that Bumper was after her. It was enough to motivate her further in their mission to rescue her.

She carefully tucked the photo into her pocket before opening one of the many notebooks piled atop the desk. They were all filled with song lyrics and beginnings of stories that went unfinished. Beca went through the drawers of the desk once more, checking for a hollow bottom like the one in the president's study. She was still surprised to find one in the second to last drawer although that's what she had been searching for. She pulled it out, taking her dagger and removing the bottom to reveal a maroon leather-bound journal. She gingerly extracted it and set it on the desk, opening it. The first half was empty for the most part, filled with only a few sketches here and there. Regardless, said sketches impressed the captain with their incredulous detail. She continued to flip through the pages until she came across one in the middle where what appeared to be a journal entry was written on it dated May eighth.

_"Daddy won't tell me what's happening. He's been unusually tense, and Mommy is the same. She won't even talk to me. She's been locked up in Daddy's study since we got here. She told me not to write anymore journal entries. She threw my other one in the fire, but she wouldn't tell me why. I have no one to talk to though. I know Aubrey is super busy, and I haven't talked to the others in ages. It isn't like I get much service apart from the internet anyway. This is stupid. I'm an adult now. Why do they continue to treat me like a child? I miss Barden. I never asked to be the president's daughter."_

Beca proceeded onto the next page. Another passage was scribbled there, and it did seem like the girl was in a hurry writing it. It was dated the eleventh.

_"Mommy says I have to go with Miss Richmond for awhile when we get back to the states. I don't see why. Plus, she wants me to call her Aunt Kelly. I don't even have an Aunt Kelly. Why can't I just call her Alaina or Miss Richmond like I always do? What's going on? I don't know, but I'm getting scared. Daddy called. He said that if he didn't get to see me when I got back that he loved me very much. I don't see why he acts as if he's never gonna see me again. Sure, he's busy, but I won't be in Miami forever. The good thing is that Alaina's house looks a lot like this house. It's on the beach and everything, so hopefully I can just enjoy it for awhile. I"_

The passage ceased abruptly, and Beca could only guess that Mrs. Beale had come in, so she had stopped. She must have used the false bottom to conceal it from her mother, but at least she had managed to hide it. Now Beca had a correct name for Chloe's "aunt", and she knew the house they needed to find was on a beach. It narrowed down the search if even only a little bit. As Beca scanned through the rest of the journal, a picture fell out that made her eyes widen. It was a picture of their entire company out in the desert in full gear holding their assault rifles. Aubrey's lips were pursed. Beca had on her trademark smirk. Luke was flexing his muscles. Jesse had his usual goofy grin on his face. The other girls were doing their own thing, and they seemed like they were really having fun. Yeah, Beca could admit that they did have some good times out on tour. Had it not been for each other, they would have lost all control in the very beginning.

_"What in the hell is crocodile jump rope?" Jesse asked with his face contorted in confusion. "That sounds like a sex position."_

_"You line up several crocodiles in a row, and you jump over each without getting bitten," Amy explained as she stretched out on her cot. "If you get over all of them without losing a foot, you get a lucky koala foot."_

_"So if you don't lose a foot, you get a-foot?" Stacie clarified._

_"Exactly!" the husky blonde Aussie replied with a triumphant smile._

_"That sounds a bit ironic. And pointless."_

_"Eh, it's fun. We don't care much for the prize."_

_Amy took a sip of her coffee as Beca stalked into the tent._

_"How's it hanging, Cap?" Amy asked._

_"By a string," Beca immediately returned with a sigh, pouring herself a coffee. "What are you terd burgers talking about?"_

_"Amy was teaching us the ways of Tasmanian crocodile jump rope," Jesse replied, a sparkle in his eyes. "Sounds pretty interesting. We should give it a try sometime."_

_"Sounds like a sex position."_

_"Oh, I wish, Cap," Stacie replied with a wink._

_It was no secret that the busty brunette with her mile-long legs warmed the captain's bed on many nights. Stacie had always loved sex for some odd reason, and Beca needed to loosen up and relieve her overwhelming ADHD. After checking Stacie's medical records TWICE, they had come to a healthy compromise._

_"No, it's legit," Jesse assured her nonchalantly. "You use real crocodiles."_

_"There are no crocodiles in Iraq, J," Beca retorted._

_"We can use, uh, snakes. Yeah, snakes."_

_"I'd like to see you make a snake sit still long enough to jump over it."_

_"Yeah I guess you're right."_

_"You can always just stick them up your ass and see how long you last before it bites you," Amy deadpanned._

_Beca spit her coffee out as she snorted a laugh along with the others while Jesse gave his best puppy dog pout._

_"I'll pay to see that," the captain managed through her laughter. "Oh, and then, you can write a movie about it. Backdoor Biters!"_

_The group burst into hysterical cackling now, and even Jesse snorted at that._

_"I don't know what I would do without you morons," Aubrey sighed from her seat beside Stacie. "At least you make this entertaining."_

_Entertaining indeed. Between laughing all the way back to her tent at Amy's antics and Jesse's feigned offense to waking up beside a completely naked Stacie, the downtime between moving through the desert and fighting off enemies made it all easier to get through for the captain. She had her team, and though she would never admit it aloud, they were her friends. She loved them, and wouldn't hesitate to risk her life for any of them even if they did drive her nuts at times._

Aubrey and Jesse slept through the night, and Beca only needed a couple of hours to recuperate and compose herself. She shook her comrades awake just as the sun made its presence known on the horizon. She had gone out earlier that morning, bringing back a large collection of fish that she prepared for them to eat before heading off for Miami. It would be a lengthy journey for them, and she strongly believed it would be best for Jesse and Aubrey to travel through the water for part of the trip. She would discuss it further over the meal.

Aubrey and Jesse stood abruptly when they were shaken, and they glanced out the window, awed to see the sun rising.

"How long did we sleep?" Aubrey asked.

"Through the night," Beca replied.

"Beca, you didn't even-"

"I took a power nap around midnight, and I feel great. Come on. I got us breakfast, and I have some info to share with you."

They hastily made their way to the table, getting a whiff of the perfectly prepared fish and smiling. Their captain had always had a way in the kitchen. They remembered it on the several dinners they held while on leave back when they were Marines.

"So, what is it?" Aubrey asked after a few bites.

"Well," Beca sighed. "I found this." She set the journal on the table, the company picture holding the place of where the final entry was placed. "It isn't really her aunt, and this sort of proves that the president and first lady knew something was up beforehand. She was sent to Miami, but the woman's name isn't Kelly. It's Alaina Richmond."

Aubrey opened up the book, scanning over the entry with bulging eyes then sliding the book to Jesse after taking the photo into her hand. She smiled at it longingly. She could remember when she gave Chloe the picture after their third tour.

_"Aubrey, I don't want you leaving again," Chloe whined. "It's dangerous."_

_"Chloe, we'll be fine," Aubrey assured her, pulling the redhead into her arms. "We're the best at what we do. We were trained for this."_

_"Yes, but even the best have weaknesses."_

_"Yeah, and I don't even know what they are, so I'm pretty sure our enemies don't. Chloe, you have to trust me on this."_

_"You know, the whole White House and everyone outside of it talks about you guys. They say you guys have made bigger dents in the war in a year than most companies have in their entire careers. They said that your captain is called a demon back in the middle East, that she has evil powers or something crazy like that."_

_Aubrey just chuckled. "Come on, Chloe. They're just surprised that a woman fights so well. Beca, she's-she is amazing at what she does. I didn't like her at all at first, but I think I was just jealous, but she would die for any one of us. I trust her with my life, and she trusts me with hers. We would never leave each other behind, and I trust all of my comrades in this. We are a working unit, Chlo. No one can hurt us."_

_"They also say you guys move too fast. What if someone catches on, and they burn you guys? I just-"_

_"Chloe, listen to me, okay? Before this, I was on a fast ride to hell. I was drinking all of the time, pulling my hair out, sick of my father riding my ass all day. Then I came into the military, and I-I felt free, like my own person, like I was exactly where I belonged. This is what I was made for, Chloe, and I swear to you this. I will always come back for you. Here." She pulled out a small photo from her pocket and handed it to her best friend. "That's my company. They will protect me, and I will protect them. They will always bring me home to you. We would die for you the same way we would die for each other, and we would kill for you just as quickly. After all, you're the president's daughter."_

_"Not by choice."_

_"I know, but you need just as much protection as I do, and I'm out there protecting you, Chloe. You're like my little sister, and I'm out there fighting for you, okay? Do you understand that?"_

_The redhead sighed in defeat. "Okay. I trust you."_

_"Thank you."_

Aubrey set the photo down as Jesse closed the journal.

"So the house is on the beach?" he asked, taking another large bite of fish.

"Yeah, that's what it says," Beca replied, gulping down a mouthful. "I was thinking that you two could do some traveling in the water today too."

"Yeah, I never thought of that!" Jesse face palmed himself. "My shark phase actually lasts a lot longer than my bird phase. I used it in the Mediterranean Sea on that fourth tour, remember?"

"Yeah, and you nearly got yourself harpooned, Shark Tale."

"I'll be more careful this time. Aubrey is also really graceful with that whole dolphin thing going on."

"I was a killer whale," she scoffed defensively.

"Really? Because I swear you sounded like a dolphin." Jesse quirked an eyebrow. "Maybe the blow hole got me confused."

"Nope, I was definitely a killer whale."

"Whatever you say."

After their meal, they got set to leave, taking the bodies they had piled in the near jungle and tossing them into a ravine before turning back towards the beach. When they reached it, they stripped down, stuffing their belongings and Chloe's journal entries in Beca's messenger bag.

"I'll be right above you," Beca informed them. "Squeak or whatever it is dolphins do if you need something."

"I was a killer whale!" Aubrey screeched.

"Sure thing," Beca tossed back nonchalantly, securing the bag. "Okay, we'll stop at the next coast. It's about three hundred miles from here. Can you last that long?"

"Yup," Jesse assured her. "If not, I'll let you know, and you can swoop down."

"Got it."

With that, Beca began to blur, and soon the beautiful dark-haired condor appeared atop the sand. Jesse and Aubrey waded into the water, glowing in the rising sunlight before disappearing beneath the surface. Beca watched the ripples glide away from her, giving her comrades a head start of at least three hundred yards before she took one last look at the beach and and flew off.

It was a three day trip to Miami for the trio, and when they arrived on the beach, they regrouped in a small cove that gave them enough privacy to phase and dress but not before they spoke to the others. Beca phased back first and sent out a text message having all of her company phase into their preferred form before once again becoming the wolf. In that way, they could communicate in the most secure of ways. It was a gift that surely helped overseas many times over, one Beca and her company had mastered completely so that they were able to keep the thoughts within their company. She only wished she was able to use it with Luke still, but his lack of reply made her think that he hadn't shifted in a long time, and it worried her.

"Heyyyy, Cap," Stacie answered first in a husky tone.

"Hey, pretty girl," Beca replied, earning a curious glance from Aubrey, who was now a graceful lioness once more. "How are we doing on your end?"

Just then, Cynthia Rose and Denise phased.

"Okay, I'm here," Cynthia Rose informed them. "The others are a bit tied up, so I had to slip away for a bit."

"Me too," Denise added.

"Good," Beca returned. "Stacie, what's going on?"

"Well, we compiled an update from all of the safe houses. No one has seen or heard from Luke, but Luke did make a call from his personal cell phone two weeks ago. It was traced to Toronto, Canada. We're heading there in a couple of hours. As for Athens, there's nothing. We checked the Beale residence multiple times, but no. It hasn't been entered in months, and the last was probably Aubrey."

"Okay, what about you, CR?"

"Well, we found a few of those guys over here in Vegas," Cynthia Rose began. "They were on Nellis Air Force Base talking to the general. We took flight and listened in, and they really had the guy scared. They wanted him to surrender or something. I'm guessing that he wanted the base to join them, but they had been holding off. Anyways, this does sound crazy, but these guys are a lot like those fuckin' Twilight vampires. They don't sparkle and shit though, and their eyes aren't red or anything. I mean, honestly, Becs? From the research we've done based on their characteristics, the only thing that's ever been described this way has been simply labelled as a demon."

"So not like us? Because we were labelled demons back in the desert."

"No, not like us. The cold, pale skin, the solid bodies, the 'dead' eyes that are like a silver color, and Lily said it sounds like breaking glass when they get hit. I don't think humans hear that though because I'm sure that would freak someone out. Either way, there's only one guy that's come across one without being brainwashed or some shit. He has a blog online talking about his encounters with one. He could be a fraud, but everything seems pretty legit, so we're gonna pay him a visit in Montana."

"Alright, that sounds like a plan. Just be careful, and if you can, just fight these guys head on. Taking form might cause too much chaos at this stage."

"Got it."

"And Denise?"

"Well, Texas wasn't ransacked or anything, so that's good. There was a fire though. Some chemical plant blew up in Waco, and it was pretty huge, over a four-mile radius. It was close enough to the base to knock out some lines, but we're helping them get back online ASAP."

"Okay, so here's what I got. We went down to the house. We found a journal that Chloe wrote a few days before the bombing. Look, the president and first lady knew what was gonna happen beforehand. They sent Chloe away. We're here in Miami. That's where it said they sent her, to a woman they made her refer to as Aunt. The name is Alaina Richmond. Does that ring a-"

"Wait, Alaina Richmond?" Cynthia Rose interjected. "As in Agent Richmond?"

"I-have no idea."

"Well, Agent Alaina Richmond worked in the bureau. I met her when we got back from that last tour. She knew who I was from papers and stuff. We met in Atlantic City. Said she worked with the FBI, and she did a lot of undercover work. She was actually just leaving a meeting with president. She didn't tell me that in so many words, but she referenced 'the big guy', and I doubt she meant God."

"Okay, so she's an agent with close ties to President Beale. It would explain why Chloe was sent there. An FBI agent sounds like a safe go. So, we're looking for a house on a beach. When we're done here, CR, have Lily get online and try to find me a Miami address. I doubt it because she's obviously trying to be scarce, but it's worth a shot. Anyway, they called her Aunt Kelly."

"Wait." It was Aubrey speaking now. "I knew I had heard it somewhere, but I knew it wasn't from Chloe. 'Aunt Kelly'. There was a confidential folder that I had to deliver to the president from Quanico, and it had a name on it. 'Aunt Kelly'. This was maybe a week or so before the bombing."

"So Aunt Kelly wasn't just the name of the woman," Beca pondered. "It was the name of the plan to get Chloe out. What happened to those documents?"

"Well it was labelled under national security, so both Evan and I got a copy. I never had a chance to read it, but it would most likely still be in my files on my old computer. If-Lily can hack into that system, she could possibly find it."

"The White House is destroyed though."

"But not the system," Lily's soft voice now answered, startling everyone a moment. "They destroyed the hardware, not the software. I can try to hack into it, and I'll e-mail you a copy, Cap. Maybe I can find some more documents in the archive too."

"Okay, just shoot me a text when you do. We'll get to a library. Now, move out, guys. We've been phased long enough. I don't wanna risk anything. And keep in touch. I need everyone in the loop. Oh, and one more thing. They've sent mercenaries after Chloe, and not just any band of 'em either. We ran into some of Bumper's goons on the island, and they smelled of those 'demons'. Anyway, Bumper's no longer a Marine. I'm giving full permission to neutralize him if he is seen immediately. Are we good."

"Good," the others agreed, and with that, they began to shift.

Once Beca and her two partners were human and dressed, they headed down the beach and up onto the street beyond it. They found a diner close by, and it was then that they realized just how hungry they were. They hadn't bothered to stop for a meal much on the way over. They wanted to get to Miami as soon as possible. They had cut down Bumper's men on the island, but there was no telling how quickly they could catch up on Chloe's trail. Of course, Beca had burned most of the documents, only holding onto the journal entries, but she had seen enough in the world to know that anything was possible. She took pride in that too.

After ordering a meal, the trio slouched in their seat. Their bodies were quite sore from the trip, and they had only taken maybe three combined hours of sleep in three days. Their anxiety and usual ADHD had not allowed them more than that, but they weren't complaining. Beca had gone a year with no more than maybe eighteen hours of sleep, so that wasn't something new to her at all. When their food arrived, they devoured it quickly, practically inhaling their meals like-well, like animals. They were so hungry that they ordered a second meal, and other than a curious look, the waitress said nothing about it.

"You think Lily can come up with an address?" Jesse asked.

"I don't know, but if not, hopefully the scent we have is enough to find it," Aubrey returned with a sigh. "If she can find that file though or anything else in that archive for that matter, we may be able to shine some light on this entire situation."

"You know, if I weren't a mythical creature myself, I would have laughed _hard_ at Cynthia Rose's diagnosis," Beca snorted. "Like, demons? Really? Are you fuckin' kidding me?"

"Well, you _are _a mythical creature, Mitchell, so it's irrelevant."

"Indeed. Hey, let's take this round to go and go down to the beach. I need to lay down or some shit."

Jesse and Aubrey nodded, and they had the waitress box up their order. When it was brought out to them, Beca paid with the cash she had stashed in her shorts pockets then they exited the diner and headed back down to the beach. They returned to the cove for the maximum amount of shade and privacy. Even though it was December, they were warm year round of course. It took some time to adjust to, but they made it happen. Once they finished their second meal, Jesse was fast asleep, snoring as he lay in the sand. Beca tried to doze off, but now that she had a chance, she couldn't seem to fall asleep. Aubrey was having the same problem. They lay side by side on one end of indention, Jesse on the other to lower the volume ever so slightly of his bear snores.

"Hey, Bree," Beca suddenly hissed in a tone Aubrey wasn't accustomed to from the captain, a tone full of vulnerability and possibly-fear?

"Yeah," she answered, her back to her captain.

"When did-you start? To shift?"

Aubrey tensed at the question a moment. This wasn't something they did. No one in the company had ever shared their stories of the first shift. They only talked of losing their parents or parent, whichever applied. Actually, Beca had not told anyone the story of her parents dying aside from Luke when she was recruited.

"I-I-it-well," Aubrey stammered, taking a deep breath to calm herself, and as she did, she was suddenly pulled over so that her head rested on Beca's chest, her breath hitching at the action before she gained composure once more. She relaxed into the brunette's side. "Well, it was after my mother died. I was eight, and she had just been killed in a hit-and-run. The truck ran a red light, and she was crossing the street. She never had a chance." She choked back a sob. It had been years since she had told the tale, Chloe being the last one their freshman year. "Anyway, after that, I saw the guy. Uh, I don't know. I guess, I just _knew_ it was him when I saw him. I-it sounds crazy."

Beca rubbed her back. "Bree, we turn into oversized animals, okay?" she reminded her with a laugh. "I mean, for God's sakes, Jesse is a big ass teddy bear. Nothing sounds crazy anymore. Not even the demon thing."

Aubrey gave a weak chuckle. "Well, I just knew it was him I guess. I only confirmed it when I saw him climb into that truck with the busted bumper that was plastered all over the news. He was leaving a house down the street from the public library. I followed him on my bike. I don't know what I planned on doing, but I just followed. My mother's funeral was the next day. It had taken them two weeks to release the body. When he parked out behind a trailer north of town, I hid in the trees. He was sitting on his tailgate drinking, and I just got so-angry. Then, the next thing I knew I was running at him, on all fours, and I ripped him to pieces. I-I was only eight, Becs, and I killed him out of rage."

She was crying now harder, and Beca grabbed her shoulders, sitting them both up before pulling Aubrey's hands from her face.

"Bree, look at me." She did so hesitantly. "Look, if the guy that killed my parents hadn't been arrested so fast, I probably would have done the same thing. Trust me. You see, my dad was an English professor, at Barden U. There was some kid in his class that got a bad grade, and he killed my parents in the parking lot after school when they were leaving. I mean, come on. He took my family from me, all I had for a fuckin' D in English? Another professor came to get me, and we went to the hospital. We waited like two hours before a doctor came out and said they were gone. I was in denial though. It didn't hit me until I saw them laying in those coffins, and I took off. I left the church and ran into the woods. I don't know. When I got deep enough, I stopped, and all of it caught up to me. The anger and rage and sadness all ate me up, and I turned into the wolf. I looked down into the water, and I knew my eyes but not my body. After that, I just kept running. I was out in the woods for like, I don't know, a year or so before I went back to Barden. Luke found me shortly after that. He's the only one that knew about-my parents dying. Before now."

"I guess it-wasn't something we could control then."

"No, it wasn't. That's a predator instinct. To attack, and we couldn't control it then. We were kids, you know."

Aubrey's tears instantly ceased, and she looked up at Beca as if something had just struck her. Beca gave her a curious gaze.

"What?" she at last asked after a few silent minutes.

"You know, my mom, she-she was always really hot, like all the time," Aubrey replied. "Like us. She was always burning up, and-well, I wasn't ever burning up until _after _she died."

"Yeah, my dad too. He was always running a fever, and then, after I saw him in the casket, I started burning up. Huh, I never even..."

"You think that our parents were shifters, and-when they died, they passed it onto us? I mean, we didn't change until they-all of us are missing at least one parent, and all of them are missing due to death. They weren't abandoned or anything."

"You think? I guess that-"

Before Beca could continue her, phone rang. It was a simple text from Lilly.

_"You've got mail."_


	3. Aim For the Head

**_A/N: I'm on a roll with this one if I do say so myself. Thanks so much for all the reviews. I'm glad you're so receptive to it. I was a bit worried as its a big difference from my first two stories, but I'm really enjoying this one. It came to me in a dream and all, lol. Anyway, I know everyone wants to see Chloe. She's the love of my life, so I miss her too, but we'll get there. Patience is a virtue you know. So I hope you enjoy this chapter. We'll get some insight on Beca's last tour and what she went through as well see the group gain a trail. Some action tossed in. Here we go!_**

_"Captain Mitchell!" Major Edwards hollered across the camp._

_"Yes, sir," Beca replied, coming to attention before him, a taut arm posed in salute._

_"Colonel Bryant has sent for you. He needs you to move out ASAP. Coordinates are in your IV5 already."_

_"Yes, sir."_

_Beca was back in their corner of the camp within seconds._

_"Okay, ladies, let's move out," she instructed._

_"I resent that," Jesse puffed as he gathered his bag._

_"Well, suck it up, princess, because you just proved my point."_

_"Do we get to see a McDonald's anytime soon?" Amy sighed. _

_Beca ignored her inquiry. "Ashley, pull up our next coordinates on the IV5."_

_Ashley immediately pulled the small device from her pocket, pulling up the last navigation configuration. She gave Beca a nod, and the captain returned it. The company was packed up and ready to go within five minutes. Aubrey had drilled punctuation and time management skills into them. _

_"Let's go."_

_Ashley took the driver's seat of the first Humvee. Jessica took the passenger seat beside her. Lily took the top gun, and Beca and Jesse settled in the back with several enlisted men. Stacie took the next Humvee with Aubrey to her right. Denise was sat in the back with Benji, the company medic, and the other handful of privates and officers. Cynthia Rose manned the mounted gun atop, and Amy sat closer to the back. Each soldier took a few seconds to load up their weaponry before Ashley pulled out onto the road. It was nine in the morning, but the heat was still suffocating. Beca sat calmly with her head rested against the back window of the SUV. _

_"We good up there, Lily?" she asked._

_"All clear up here," Lily replied, barely above a whisper. _

_Beca held a hand up, one finger extended, to the vehicle behind her. Cynthia Rose returned it, letting her know all was clear. With that, Beca slumped her head back. Jesse pulled his helmet over the upper part of his face, leaving only his scruffy jaw visible. The sun bore down on the caravan mercilessly, sweat dripping from every eyebrow. Ashley put some distance between her and the second Humvee now. It was a tactic always used. If one car was hit, the second would have time to react. They had never been hit before of course, but there was a first time for everything. Yeah, indeed._

_Ashley came crawling over a hill, surveying the area before gaining some speed. This road was lined by dry shrubbery and sand dunes. The second car stayed twenty-five yards back and slightly to the left. It gave Ashley the visual of them. As she turned around a slight curve, their first time occurred._

_The blast riddled the occupants of the first car deaf momentarily. The Humvee was sent at least three feet in the air. As it hovered, the second blast rang out, tossing the SUV over like nothing. The second car halted immediately. The bombs were not thrown. They were mines. All remained quiet around them. They checked their surroundings once more, but nothing moved. They then scurried over carefully to the first Humvee to check their counterparts. Jesse had been thrown a little ways, but he stalked back to the car without so much as a bruise. There were some privates a bit cut and bruised however. Benji checked them one by one. As he did, Ashley and Jessica recovered from their shock and hopped out of the sideways vehicle. It was then that they noticed Beca knocked out and pinned under the car._

_"Jesse, Benji, come help us!" Ashley hollered._

_The men were beside them in minutes, and together, they were able push the car upright. Of course, Ashley could have lifted it herself, but there was no need to freak out the privates. Just as Benji bent over to tend to their unconscious captain, the gunshots filled the air in a flurry. They were coming from their left. Benji quickly picked up Beca and set her on the protected side of the Humvee. Cynthia Rose and Lily retreated to their big guns and began to return fire. Aubrey crouched beside the tire where Beca was laid. She looked over quickly at her captain. A large gash lined her head, and her arm may have been fractured at the least. Her legs looked okay beneath her fatigues, but there was no way to be sure without Benji. She touched the captain's shoulder before leaning around the car to start shooting. _

_"We have to push them back!" the blonde called over, taking authority._

_The soldiers were closing in on the company swiftly, and four privates already lay lifeless on the ground. It was a bit unnerving. The company had only lost six soldiers in the last three years combined. Then again, never had they successfully been ambushed. Beca could always sense when the enemy was close, but the mines had been skillfully placed to say the least. They never saw it coming._

_Aubrey stepped around the humvee and began firing at the soldiers moving forward, taking several down with ease. Benji was trying to drag the privates into cover. Ashley and Denise were at the far end behind the second Humvee aiding Jessica in her fight to keep oncoming enemies at Bay. Jesse was tossing grenades over the dunes, honing in on the scents to find where most of them lay. They never saw the two soldiers dressed in brown fatigues creep up behind them. The scent was everywhere, so distance was poorly measured. _

_Beca's eyes opened slightly, but her vision was blurry. She couldn't feel anything in her legs or her arms. She looked down to see the sand moving beneath her. There was a dune buggy of sorts racing through the sand towards her. What the hell had happened? She glanced up to find unfamiliar men holding onto her arms. This wasn't her team..._

**Aunt Kelly**

_This document and all corresponding copies are to be destroyed immediately after briefing_

_In the midst of an oncoming war, the president has become aware of a serious threat aimed at the White House. There is little to no time for proper preparation, and no information shall be divulged to the general public. The actions taken by President Beale and Congress are strictly confidential but necessary._

_Chloe Abigail Beale is to be escorted to Atlantic City to meet with Agent Alaina Richmond under the alias 'Aunt Kelly'. She will be taken from there to a designated safe zone by Agent Richmond. The Network has been set up in due time but will not be informed of Miss Beale's whereabouts. They shall only be held by Agent Richmond. The Secretary of Defense shall be escorted to Base 6451 immediately following arrival in Washington May fourteenth. No information shall be divulged to members of The Network._

"Okay, so that explains that," Beca sighed, pulling up the next document Lily had sent them, printing it out before deleting the files completely from her e-mail. "This document was to be destroyed and for good reason. I'll tell you one thing. This was definitely not written in Quanico. This was our president's final document, a plea for help. It was the only way that he would be able to warn you, Bree."

"I guess I should have read it," Aubrey breathed.

"But about earlier, what we said about our powers and our parents. I-I saw this girl's eyes, and-well, did you ever think that-"

"I did," Aubrey replied quickly. "I did, but there was no scent on her parents either. No, I was around Evan all of the time, and he didn't have the scent on him. I thought about it, but no. Chloe isn't one of us."

"Okay, well let's see what this doc can tell us. It was sent to your box too. Unread."

**Armageddon **

_This document and all corresponding copies are to be destroyed immediately after briefing_

There are traitors among us, not only traitors of the government but traitors of a higher power. They descend upon the nation, fitting into each and every crack and niche. They are everywhere, and there is nothing that we can do to stop them. The military has been infiltrated. The White House has been compromised. Olympus will fall and with it, our government and the country inevitably.

"I guess that would account for the 'demon' theory," Beca concluded.

"Yeah, this was definitely written by President Beale," Aubrey sighed. "He's the only one who writes in that font to me."

"As you can see though, this was only addressed to you. Are you sure he didn't know about us?"

"No, but I was the Marine best friend. He trusted me."

"Okay, but there was definitely no way the big guy was a shifter. He would have sensed us and called us in. He would have had a much better plan than this. I mean, he just sent a document and expected you to understand it all?" Beca was suddenly growling. "No, this is basically a fuckin' journal entry. What the hell do we do with this? This just confirms what we already knew."

"Wait, what's that third document?"

Beca pulled it up. "It-looks like a pointless list of words. A grocery order maybe."

_Southern Miami Oranges_

_Atlantic City Clam Shells_

_New York Deep Dish Pizza_

_Chicago Style Pizza (for dad)_

_Texas Toast_

_Georgia Peach jam (Made in Athens)_

_California Raisins_

_French Fries & Canadian bacon_

"What the-" Beca now said, further inspecting the list.

"They all start with places," Aubrey hissed.

"And the first is Southern Miami," Jesse pointed out in a low voice. "Maybe he listed off the places Chloe might be. I mean, she started from Atlantic City. We checked Athens."

"Wow, holy shit. Maybe the president did have a bit of sense."

"Okay, we're on Miami Beach, so pull up a map, and see if we can find anything else that may have been encrypted for us."

Beca's fingers flitted across the keyboard swiftly, and soon, there was a map of Miami Beach displayed. She zoomed in on the coastline, searching the map carefully for any key words or triggers of any kind. At last, she inhaled a sharp breath, pointing a finger at the screen.

"Kelly Park," Aubrey read out loud. "It's about three miles from here."

"Come on," Beca said, printing out the map and list quickly before wiping the entire system. "Let's go."

The walk down the beach was peaceful. They looked like ordinary college kids of course. Beca was a short twenty-four years old. Jesse and Aubrey were twenty-six, but they aged much slower than any normal human. Come to think of it, Beca's parents had always looked rather young, like fresh out of college young. She wondered if they would be the same. That would be considering the possibility that her father was actually a shifter. She pushed it out of her mind for the time being as a large white structure came slightly into view. It was much more simple than the Tahitian house, and it was backed against a cliffside, palm trees surrounding it. Had they not been looking for it, it probably would have taken a bit to find. There was a wooden porch that stretched across the front wall, a swing hanging from the canopy above. There was a park they had walked through to get there, and with the cliff behind it, the park was the only way to reach the house. They confirmed it was Kelly Park, and the name above the door read "Richmond". Beca gave Aubrey a nod, a hand on the handle of the pistol she had taken from the island under her shirt, and the blonde knocked on the door firmly. They listened intently for any movement inside but heard nothing.

"They may have moved to another place already," Jesse suggested. "The scent's faint."

"It's possible," Beca huffed. "Open it up, Bree."

Aubrey did so swiftly, and the three entered the house with slow and deliberate steps. The house was quaint, quiet and clean as the Tahitian house had been. There was not a speck of dust to be found yet it still seemed as if no one had been inside in awhile. There wasn't as much furniture as the summer home had held. It was a bit more spacious for that fact but simple enough to maneuver through.

"I'll check upstairs," Beca hissed. "Jesse, see if you find a basement or any secret doors. It seems like a good thing to install in a safehouse."

Jesse nodded, stepping around the staircase to inspect the side of it while Beca trumped up the stairs. There were three doors on the top floor. The first one seemed to be the master bedroom, and Beca searched it thoroughly. She found nothing. The only items in the room were a bed, a few outfits in the closet, some garments in the drawers, and an old TV that sat atop a dresser. There were no pictures of any sort or belongings. Beca moved on to the next door. This one was just as empty it seemed, but the scent within was recognizable. It was Chloe's. She picked up the pillow case, and she realized the scent was much stronger than it had been in Tahiti. That meant she was at the Miami Beach house not so long ago. She pulled off the pillow case, and as she did, a miniature notebook fell to the ground. Beca eyed it suspiciously before picking it up. When she opened it, she realized it was another one of Chloe's makeshift journals with an entry close to the back. It was dated November fifteenth, just a month prior.

_"I know something terrible has gone on. I know that my parents are gone forever. How could they not be? I understood it a little better. They sent me to Aunt Kelly to keep me safe. I guess it isn't too safe. My face is plastered everywhere. I had to dye my hair blonde, and I have glasses on most of the time. We're leaving again tomorrow, but I don't know where. North I think. Aunt Kelly doesn't want me writing either, but I'm super lonely. She's always so serious, and I miss Aubrey. I wish that her and her company would come. That this demon captain everyone used to speak about would come rescue me." _Beca chuckled at that. _"She was the best captain the Marines had ever seen. Daddy said so, and Aubrey always said how much she loved her. She said that she trusted Captain Mitchell with her life, and I know that's not easy for Bree. I do hope Aubrey is okay. I saw her face too on the posters. I hope they haven't caught her yet. And I really need her. I'm so scared because I don't know what's happening to me. Last night I"_

The passage once again cut off abruptly, and Beca quirked an eyebrow, curiosity nagging at her. It was the only passage in the book. She huffed and retreated back downstairs. When she reached the first floor landing, Aubrey appeared from the kitchen. Beca handed her the notebook with a smirk.

"So...you _love_ me?" Beca asked, wiggling her eyebrows playfully at the blonde.

"Oh, shut up," Aubrey snapped with a smile as she read. "No need to boost the ego."

Aubrey read over the passage multiple times before closing it.

"They really do call me the demon captain, don't they?" she snorted.

"They call you many things, Sweetie, none of which I will share," Aubrey returned with her own smirk. "Well, at least we're not looking for a redhead at the moment."

"Yeah, because it would definitely be easier."

"So they're not here then. She said North. What's the next place on that list?"

Beca extracted the list from her pocket and unfolded it, scanning the page carefully.

"The next place is...Atlantic City?" It was more a question than an answer. "That's where they started though. Why the hell would they go back?"

"Well, I mean New York is after that. The question is why the hell they're treading so close to Washington."

"Well, I guess we can ask them when we find them. Here. I got a better scent." She handed over the pillow case. "Let's lay it down for a bit. I need a couple of hours."

"Take your time, Cap. I'll let Jesse know."

With all of the information swirling around in her head, it was surprising that Beca was out the moment that her head came in contact with the couch. Aubrey smiled as soft snores filled the room. Jesse appeared beside the stairs, and Aubrey handed him the book. He read it quickly then looked up at his slumbering captain.

"She must be exhausted," he observed.

"Yeah, she is," Aubrey agreed. "She's just stubborn and fights it off too long."

Jesse smiled at her. "You love her, don't you?"

"She's our captain, Jesse, but she is like my best friend. I guess it was all of the constant head butts and misunderstandings. When we finally allowed ourselves to understand each other, we found we weren't much different."

"Are any of us really that different?"

"I suppose not, but Beca is the freest spirit. I was caged up by my father's expectations before all of this. Now, I'm my own person. Beca brings out the best in me, the best in all of us."

"Yeah, you know, Bree, I never got a chance to thank you. You really kept it together for us when they snatched Beca. You didn't panic or any of that. You kept us all calm. Had it not been for you, that grenade would have definitely taken off my leg or something."

"It was my job, Jesse. The captain was MIA, and as first lieutenant, I had a job to do."

"Yeah, but you still could have panicked. I'm sure others as young as us would have."

"I guess you're right, but I learned from the best. Beca and I learned from each other, taught each other, grew together. We were like the yin and yang of the operation."

"Yeah, you guys definitely compliment each other. It's been an honor serving with you two. I mean that. We'll always be Marines, you know?"

"Yeah, I know. That's what I told Beca the day I went to get her."

"What did they do to her in there anyway?"

"Her documents said she was put on a bunch of meds, but there wasn't much else aside from the standard shrink. She wasn't talking. I must have been her first words aloud in three years the way it was written. Anyway, she wasn't sick. We knew that, but she didn't bother to let anyone else figure that out."

"Like you said. Stubborn."

"Yeah, let's get some rest. We're headed to Atlantic City come dawn."

_"Allahu Akbar!" the man screamed into the camera before cutting the feed._

_He turned back to Beca, malice in his eyes. Her head drooped forward, blood dripping from her lip and staining her pants. _

_"They will not come for you," the man hissed in a thick accent. "They will not rescue you. They would rather continue to tear apart our country than save you. We know all about you, demon! Who will come to save their famous captain?"_

_"What the hell do you want!" Beca spat, her breaths labored and her muscles aching._

_The whip snapped across the back of her neck, but it had happened so many times in the last five months that she didn't make a sound._

_"We want to know why they call you demon," he whispered conspiratorially._

_"I don't know what you're-"_

_"Enough!"_

_Another crack of the whip, this time wrapping around and ripping open her cheek. She did not move an inch._

_"Now tell me," he hissed._

_"You tell me," she growled. "It's your people who have made up the legends. I just fight well. If that's how you label a demon then-"_

_He used the shock collar around her head now, a current pulsing through the wires into the metal pads resting upon her temples. Her body convulsed violently, and when it ended, blood fell from her nose. She willed herself to be angry, to show them how much of a demon she really was while ripping out their vocal cords, but her physical damage was too critical. She was in deep..._

Beca awoke abruptly at dawn, sitting up on the couch and rubbing her eyes. She peered over at the couch across from her to find Aubrey sleeping soundly. She could smell something cooking, and she carefully stood up, making her way into the kitchen. Jesse looked up and beamed at her.

"Hey, Cap," he greeted softly, tossing up the meet in the skillet. "I went to the market down the way there and picked up some breakfast. There was only salad in the fridge."

"Ah, the life of a dedicated carnivore," Beca sighed sarcastically.

"So, Atlantic City, huh?"

Before Beca had a chance to answer, her phone began vibrating in her pocket. She swiftly pulled it out to find a text message from Cynthia Rose asking her to phase. She was on her feet and stripped down in an instant. Moments later, the wolf was present.

"What's going on, CR?" she asked.

"Hey, Cap," the large black panther greeted the captain's thought. "So we just talked to the guy in Montana. He gave us some sketches." Just then, an image invaded Beca's mind. "This is definitely the thing we saw in Vegas. They're lightning fast, but the guy said that he shot one in the head. It burst into flames. He said the first two chest shots didn't do much. It just looked like he shot through a windshield. They're fast healing with wounds like that. He also said when it touched him, it was like an electric shot." Beca shuddered involuntarily, remembering the feeling of the makeshift Iraqi electric chair.

"Okay, that definitely helps. So, I need you guys to meet me in New York in three days time. If the plan changes, I'll let you know, but right now, that looks like where we're heading if we don't find Chloe in Atlantic City."

"So did the documents help?"

"Yeah, we have what seems to be a list of possible places she was taken."

Just then, Stacie arrived in the conversation. "Hey, Cap," the fox sighed.

"Hey, how's it going up there?" Beca asked.

"We're still at the house. Those 'things' have been creeping around, and we were trying to get some information. If we leave the house, they'll see us, so we have yet to head for Toronto. They're everywhere."

"Okay, stay low. We'll meet you there sometime in the evening then we'll all head to Atlantic City together. Depending on what we find there, we regroup in New York, and you guys can check out Toronto."

"Cap, you guys are all over the news. I think someone spotted you guys in Miami."

"That just means we gotta move fast. Okay, we'll take flight before nine a.m. See you sometime around noon."

"Got it."

As Beca phased back and pulled on her clothes, Aubrey entered the kitchen. Jesse set their plates of food on the table and mugs of coffee then sat down in his chair.

"What's going on?" Aubrey asked, rubbing sleep from her eyes.

"We're on the news," Beca replied calmly, taking a sip of her coffee. "We're meeting Stacie and Amy in Athens then we'll head out. Those demons have the house surrounded, so they never left for Toronto."

"Do they know they're there?"

"I don't think so, but maybe they got a tip that Chloe was returning."

"You think she is?"

Beca always had the best intuition, and she could usually read the decisions of others long before they were made. "No, I think someone leaked a false tip to throw them off. Either way, they think she is otherwise they would have just sent Bumper, right?"

"Yeah, they must have caught wind of something big then."

Breakfast was concluded ten minutes later, and the trio set to leave. Beca packed up the messenger bag with Chloe's last entry stuffed deep inside.

"Are we flying?" Jesse asked.

"Yup," Beca huffed. "Let's go."

In three hours' time, two small pigeons and a rather large crow were perched on the roof of the Athens Beale residence and surveying the area. Several dark vehicles peppered the street, and Beca could understand why Stacie and Amy wouldn't risk it. Their shifting was not as rounded as the rest of the company when it came to special animals. Their birds didn't last very long, and they weren't too comfortable far outside of their respective fox and kangaroo phases. Beca would always chuckle at the fact the large Aussie's preferred form was a barreling mammal of her homeland. She could pack a punch however plus a deadly roundhouse kick. For that, the captain could not complain.

The three fowl discreetly dropped into the chimney, flying into the living room and startling Amy as she sat on the couch. She reached out automatically and swatted Jesse, who flew back into the brick mantle. He phased as soon as he hit the ground.

"Jesus, Amy!" he hissed, rubbing his head.

"Reflexes, Jesse, reflexes!" she defended. "Don't fly into the mouth of the flytrap if you don't wanna get eaten."

Stacie stood in the kitchen, bursting into laughter at the event as Beca landed at the foot of the stairs and phased. The strap of the messenger bag hugging her chest loosened as her body shrunk, and she took it off to retrieve clothes when her hands were back to normal. Stacie smirked at the sight of the nude brunette.

"Haven't seen that in awhile," she pointed out slyly.

"Don't deny the wet dreams, Stace," Amy shot back. "You talk in your sleep."

"Okay, let's hold it there," Aubrey cut in. "What's it looking like?"

"They look like they're waiting for something," Amy informed her. "They've been patrolling the block for like sixteen hours."

"Wait, you said we were on the news, right?" Aubrey asked.

"Yeah, but they couldn't know we were coming here," Beca responded. "I would have known that..." Beca's eyes widened.

"What? What is it?"

"They know now. They must have caught my scent from the-"

Before another word could be muttered, there were footsteps on the porch. Beca pulled out her pistol. Aubrey and Jesse did the same.

"Stacie, Amy, how well can you play taxidermy?" Beca hissed.

They needed no other question. Seconds later a "statue" of a kangaroo stood beside the mantle while a still fox perched atop it. Beca and Jesse pressed themselves against the wall on either side of the living room entrance just as the door flew open, giving them no time to phase. Aubrey had darted behind the stairs. Six men walked in, Beca recognizing the strong scent.

"There in here," one whispered.

"You think they have the girl?" another asked.

"No, I only picked up one scent, and it isn't the girl's. It's another."

"What the hell would they be doing here?"

"They're Marines, and they're traitors. They must be looking for her too."  
"Aim for the head," Beca mouthed to Jesse then Aubrey, who both nodded.

Just as the first two men entered the living room, Beca swiftly pulled out her dagger and sunk it into the man's throat. She wanted to see how well they would be able to fight off these things. No, when she retracted the knife, the man turned to her, anger in his deep silver eyes. She pulled the gun, but he picked her up and tossed her into the coffee table. Aubrey took the shot however, and when the bullet pierced his temple, he erupted into flames then a shower of ash. Another barreled in, headed straight for Beca as Jesse shot the second man. Chaos ensued quickly as more demons entered the house at the sound of gunshots. There were many entering.

"Fuck it!" Beca screeched over the scuffle. "Phase!"

Beca only hoped she didn't regret this. Seconds later, five very large animals were tearing off the head's of the cold ones, puffs of flames and ashes everywhere. Beca tore into another man, but his hand snaked around her throat, choking her. She yelped in pain. It was then that a long foot slammed into the man's face, his hand quickly releasing Beca. The captain nuzzled Amy with her nose, letting her know she was okay. Three more men entered the house, and Beca could hear sirens. This was going to get really ugly really fast if something didn't change. She suddenly felt a prick in her side. She jumped as a demon retracted his knife from her fur, blood dripping from the wound. No hesitance. Her jaw closed around his neck, snapping his head off. It felt as if she had just sunk her teeth into hard porcelain, the feeling making her shiver. She spit out the head as it burst into flames. Aubrey had been grabbed around the waist, and Beca knew the demon had the capability to crack her entire spine. She lunged, her teeth sinking into the side of his face before she jerked her head viciously, the sound of shattering glass echoing over the place as his head separated from his body. Aubrey fell to the ground in a heap, catching her breath before jumping back to her feet. There were only two now, and one had Stacie pinned to the floor. It was Jesse that took him in a chokehold, his hands trying to push away from the bear. Beca instantly sunk her teeth into the small of his back and his stomach, jerking back and dismantling the man with ease. Jesse dropped the head as it erupted in a fit of fire. The final man pulled out a pistol, shooting and missing Aubrey by a hair. Amy threw a jab into his jaw, and he crashed into the wall. Aubrey pounced then, her teeth sinking into his throat, ripping out a large chunk. Still, he stood, aiming the gun at Amy. Jesse tackled him to the ground, clawing his face mercilessly. She forced his claws straight through the man's neck. Beca bit down around his head, yanking it off and spitting it out. Moments later, the captain was already back in human form, and her team followed suit.

"Police are coming," she huffed, picking up the bag and stuffing her clothes inside. "Stacie and Aubrey, I just need you to get small enough to carry in this bag. I'll carry you from here then when we get somewhere safe, we'll land."

Seconds later, two tiny chinchillas were nestled in the messenger bag. Beca slung it over her shoulder as the first cop car came into view outside of the window. They rushed to the back door, stepping outside. Aubrey and Jesse formed into hawks while Beca took the form of a condor, and flew up into the trees. From their perch, they could see that four patrol cars had arrived. When the officers entered the house, Beca flew out of the tree, her two comrades in her wake. It had been a close call surely, and Beca had no idea how she could not know they would catch her scent. It was unnerving and frustrating. She berated herself internally as they ascended into the clouds, Amy and Stacie sitting comfortably in her bag. What riled her up the most was the fact that Lily had been so close to the base. She was the one they sniffed. Why hadn't she been whiffed out? Was it only her that they could sense since she was the alpha of their pack with Luke gone? They had to be able to sense Luke too if he was on the run. There were so many missing clues that Beca was overwhelmed. She had to focus on finding Chloe and praying that the girl could fill in some blanks. If they could find Luke, he would definitely have information, but the battle had only begun.

_"Fight back, Demon!" the man growled. "Show me your power!"_

_Beca fell in a heap to the ground, huffing as another lash of the whip collided with her shoulders. She didn't bother to stand up this time, the blood running like a river down her body. She spat out more of the red liquid warily._

_"Any normal man would be dead by now," the man proceeded. "Show me your power! You have the ability to end your own suffering. Show me what you are!"_

_"If I could, I would've ended it months ago!" Beca snarled back, eliciting another lash of the whip from the man behind her, striking her back once more._

_"You have been defying me for eight months! Wouldn't you like to return to your beloved country?"_

_"You and I both know I'm not leaving here."_

_The man roared in frustration. "Take her the chamber. Let her rot there!"_

Atlantic City was not the great tourist site it once was. Like many of the once prestigious northeastern cities, it was crumbling slowly beneath a blanket of smoke and flames. They had been in the city all of fifteen minutes when Aubrey caught a whiff of Chloe's scent. Beca allowed her to lead, flying low over the city. Aubrey and Jesse had now phased into falcons once again, Amy and Stacie taking the shape of ferrets in Beca's bag. They moved stealthily over ruins of buildings and smoking houses. Beca could smell the strong scent of many demons below. She had contacted Cynthia Rose and Denise midway through the journey, prompting them to swiftly make their way to New Jersey. She could sense them close as well. Her sense was confirmed when a flock of seagull joined their group just a few feet below Beca and Aubrey. The flock made their way to the far eastern side of the city where water met land. They found themselves in a cove where they phased into their human form to regroup.

"Hey, Cap," the others greeted, Benji patting her shoulder.

"How's everybody doing?" Beca asked with a small smile, glad to have her team together once more.

"Jessica got shot out of the sky back in Tennessee by some kid with a slingshot, but she's okay," Ashley giggled.

Jessica flashed her captain a smile and a small nod to confirm her well being.

"So what happened down there?" Cynthia Rose inquired as Jesse and Stacie headed out in search of a pizza place.

"They caught my scent," Beca sighed, frustration overtaking her once more. "They knew we were in the house. I didn't even think about it."

"It could have been Aubrey's scent," Denise offered.

"Yeah, but how did they not pick up Lily at the base?"

"They may have," Cynthia Rose now recalled. "They did send one man out to check the perimeter while they spooked the general. What we've concluded is that they pick up a distinct scent. Humans have a scent, we have a scent, and they have a scent. They don't know what we are, but they affiliate it with traitors, marines maybe."

"Yeah," Aubrey agreed. "They said 'they' and 'Marines'. They knew there were more than one of us, Becs."

"They most likely know that Aubrey's scent is similar to Lily's, but they have no idea what that means. If they showed any military personnel a photo of you, Aubrey and Lily, they would be able to say you were in the same company."

"We did shift during the fight, but we killed all of them."

"Well, that shouldn't be a problem. I don't think those agents are watched constantly like we first thought, but-did you guys hear like a loud beep when one of them died?"

"Actually, yeah, now that I think of it, I did," Aubrey entered.

"That guy we talked to said there's like a high pitched sound, almost like a dog whistle, when they blow up. He thinks it's like a signal that one's been killed to the others, to their leader."

"So he knows when they die but not how?" Beca clarified.

"That's what I think. Someone would have been tailing us had they known, right?"

"I guess so, but we were in the air. They could have lost us."

"They'll have our scent for sure, but we can't be sure if anyone else knows what we are if they didn't witness it."  
"Or it could be some crazy Hunger Games type shit. They could be watching."

"If they were watching, someone would be here. I smelled those things all the way here. There has to be at least thousands of them within a five-mile radius."

The group grew silent for a moment.

"Jesus, and we just let Jesse and Stacie leave!" Beca suddenly screeched. "If they caught their scent-"

"No," Lily suddenly cut her off. "The one at the base had gone to the hospital before. That's how he knew my scent. The things here don't know our scent until it's been passed on to them. That will happen soon. I think that the ones who caught you had been to the White House or the base before. They caught Aubrey's scent, and the guys from the hospital passed on our scent. They were special if they were specifically staking out Chloe's place."

"Lily, you really gotta start opening with that shit _before_ I have a heart attack, alright?"

The small Asian just shrugged. They all sat in silence again, awaiting the return of their comrades. Jessica at last spoke.

"So you can still smell Chloe?" she asked Aubrey. "She's close?"

"The scent is. I don't know if it's actually her. It could just mean she left here recently."

"Okay, well we eat then we follow the trail. If we can close the distance, we'll be fine."

Jesse and Stacie at last strode in with four pizza boxes each in their hands. The company was quick to dig in, silent as they inhaled pizza and water from the bottles Jesse distributed. Their bodies were sore, but if Chloe was close, they had no time to waste. They ate quickly then prepared to move. They didn't complain. They were used to the lack of rest. You have to keep moving in the desert. It all moved quickly, and if you didn't keep up, you wound up dead on the side of the dirt road.

"Are we shifting again?" Amy asked.

"It'll be faster," Beca replied, slinging her bag over her shoulder after stripping down.

The others followed suit. Amy and Stacie took their chances as small birds while Beca became the sleek condor she worked best as. The others soon sprouted feathered wings, and in groups, they darted off into sky with Aubrey heading them. Five minutes passed quickly before Aubrey swooped down, the others nose diving after her. She landed gracefully atop a pointed red roof, her comrades landing around the yard in trees and on grass. Beca could smell Chloe's scent very strongly now. Aubrey phased back first, letting them know the perimeter was clear. The others imitated her moves, dressing as quickly as possible. The house before them was dark, bright yellow walls lined by a white picket fence.

"This looks like a Disney clubhouse," Stacie snorted. "Real discreet."  
"I'll second that," Beca chuckled.

Aubrey approached the back door, and she took a step back when she noticed it was opened slightly. Beca came up behind her.

"You think they found them?" Beca hissed.

"Either that, or they had to make a quick getaway."

Beca pulled her pistol, stepping in front of Aubrey and slowly opening the door. A scent hit Beca directly in her face, and she stopped abruptly, looking wide-eyed at Aubrey. Aubrey sucked in a sharp breath.

"How-" she began. "No, this can't be."

"Is that-" Cynthia Rose began behind her, taking another whiff, and Denise finished her thought.

"A _shifter_?"

"That can't-no," Aubrey gasped. "Beca, her parents were not shifters."  
"Well, let's find out because that isn't Luke."

The company flowed into the house, all senses on high alert. She motioned Benji, Denise, Ashley and Amy to check upstairs. She sent Stacie, Jessica and Lily into the den. Beca located the door to the basement then, and she was followed down the wooden stairs by Aubrey, Jesse and Cynthia Rose. It was dark, and the smell of mold circulated but not enough to block out the strong scent of their kind. Beca drug her hand along the wall, looking for a switch but finding nothing. She reached ground level, the window above painted black to restrict entrance of light. It was then that Aubrey's head came into contact with a chain suspended from above. She reached up and grabbed it, yanking it gently. A lightbulb flickered on, and they surveyed the room carefully. The four of them gasped when they caught sight of a shadowy figure in the corner. It was hunched over, and it looked to be shaking. Beca cautiously approached it.

"Hey," she called softly. "Hey, who are you? We're not gonna hurt you. We're just looking for our friend."

"You-" the voice began shakily. "You-you're, the Marines."

"Uh, yeah. We are."

Then the figure stood up, stepping carefully into the light. Another gasp escaped Aubrey as Beca raised her pistol. A tall woman stood before them, her face gaunt and sullen, deep green eyes as bright as spring leaves staring back at them through sunken sockets. She looked frail. To Beca, there was no way she was a shifter. She had gone weeks without eating in the hospital and never looked this way. The woman was very familiar though. When Aubrey recovered from her shock, she dug into her pocket hastily, pulling out a photo.

"Aunt Kelly?" she breathed, stepping forward beside Beca.

"Yes, that's the name," she replied with a weak smile.  
"You-you were put to look after Chloe. Where is she?"

The woman's face fell. "She-we-they came to the house, and-I-I was asleep. I woke up when the door blew open. Chloe was beside me in my bed when we dozed off, but she was already gone when I awoke."

"So, did they take her?"

"No, they stayed long after she was gone searching the house. I hid down here, and-well, I was able to stay away from them. I hid up in the rafters while they searched." She looked up to emphasize the point. "She's gone though."

"And when was this?"

"Th-this morning."

The group looked at her incredulously, attempting to process all of the information at once. The woman gave them an apologetic look.

"I failed Evan," she croaked, collapsing against the wall. "I did."

"Uh," Beca wasn't sure of how to ask the question. "Wh-what are you?"

"I was an FBI agent before this job."

"So, I mean, that's it?"

"What do you mean?"

"Nothing. Let's go, guys."

With that, Beca left the woman in the basement. The others were already regrouping in the living room. The captain pulled out the list of possible places from her pocket, the others standing around her attentively.

"Okay, I can't really explain to you what the hell this is," she sighed. "She's not one of us. I'll tell you that, but there has been a shifter here."

"Well, damn, for her to smell like that, she had to be sharing a bed with one," Cynthia snorted. "_A lot_."

Beca gave Aubrey a pointed look. "For God's sakes, Beca, Chloe is _not_ one of us!"

Beca proceeded unhindered. "Okay, so Cynthia, your group and Stacy and Amy, head to Chicago. Take in her scent. With how quickly we picked it up here, you'll know pretty quickly if she's headed that way. If you pick up a shifter scent, follow that as well. We'll cross off Texas. She's not that far, no way. She's on foot from what we gathered, but we'll check the train stations and airports on the way out. If she's smart, she won't be on either. Denise, Ashley and Jessica, get a head start on New York. Hopefully we can track her along the way. That would have been the next stop. The last one on this list is...France? Huh, that's not gonna happen."

Aubrey peered over her shoulder now. "It says French fries _and_ Canadian bacon," she pointed out. "On the same line. As in, together."

"So...French Canada?"

The other pondered a moment before nodding their agreement.

"Okay then," Beca sighed. "Let's move out."


	4. Fire and Ice

**_A/N: I think I may just be ready to get Chloe in here...Maybe. We'll see. I'm writing as I go, and I have rewritten parts many times, but I hope this update comes in a timely fashion. Please keep the reviews coming. I'm loving it!_**

_Beca hoisted herself into a sitting position carefully. She had no idea how long she had been asleep or how long she had been locked away in the small closet-like room. She could hear voices floating through the walls, but she couldn't make out what was said. She recalled the events of the last months in her head, when she was taken. She had feigned unconsciousness on the drive from where she was snatched to where they ended up, calculating the coordinates carefully. She had memorized them, and she knew she was in the city of Karbala, in a house atop a hill. She knew the street signs, etched into her memory over the months. The men had been amateurs to snatch her, but she had to applaud them in succeeding. Her body was sore from the torture, her head still cloudy. She took a moment to calm herself and relax every inch of her. She flexed her muscles, regaining feeling her limbs. She must have been asleep for quite awhile, her stomach growling. Her body shuddered of its own accord. Her cuts were healing though, and that was a good sign. _

_There was no sun filtering into the room. It was pitch black save for the small sliver of light coming in from beneath the door. She ran her hands along the wall. It was a stone structure. Her hand fell to the floor. It was dirt that sat beneath her. She took in the scents of her captors, normal human smells of sweat and body odor. She coughed at the stench. Her hands shook slightly, and she clenched her fists to still them. She ran a hand up her back, beneath her thin and tattered tan shirt. The wounds were nothing more than welts now. If her captors saw how swift and well she healed, they would never stop believing she was a demon, or something of another world. Why should they? She wasn't normal. She was surely something else, and she hoped that this something else was healed enough to be utilized once more._

_She pictured the man that had been torturing her for eight months, anger rising through her, pulsing through her veins. She allowed the heat of her body to reach its peak, hundreds of degrees as steam rose around her. It had been long enough. She shut her eyes as her vision blurred, releasing the beast that had been trapped for months. The heat was actually comforting at this point, the feeling of her body melting away to nothing around her. She grinned to herself at the old feeling, embracing the moment and vowing to never take it for granted again. She had been convinced over the months however that it was a sickness, a disease, and it had made them both legendary heroes and major targets. It had brought great glory to their country, but with that glory came burden. She wondered if there had been others before them, others of their kind centuries before, hunted and killed. She allowed that thought to fall away as she began to gain feeling in her limbs once more, the wag of a tail bringing her joy for the first time in such a very long time._

_When she opened her eyes again, she looked down to find massive brown paws beneath her. She smiled internally, licking her snout and wagging her tail. She knew that it was time. She was right where she needed to be. In this city, in this very palace she was buried beneath, dwelled the great and powerful dictator. No, the sloppy and arrogant dictator that was sure he could not be touched with Beca in their clutches. Oh, how wrong they were, how badly they underestimated her company. She shut her eyes once more, and she called out to her team, hoping one of them was in their preferred phase awaiting her call for backup..._

Beca stalked down into the basement once more once her group left, Aubrey and Jesse dispersing to check airports and train stations before returning for their captain. Aunt Kelly, or Alaina, was still sat in the same position against the wall. Beca held out a plate of meat and vegetables to her along with a bottle of water. The woman stood swiftly, taking it with a grateful nod.

"I need to know about these places," Beca began as they sat down across from one another, the woman taking a swig of the water bottle, and the brunette unfolding the list of possible places once more.

Alaina scanned it a moment, taking a gulp of meat before speaking.

"These were the places that the secret service had dubbed safe zones and purchased houses to use as safe houses."

"You picked up Chloe here in the beginning. Why come back?"

"It was a safe zone, and I actually met Chloe in Washington. We were supposed to meet here, but the president's council miscalculated the attack. It happened two days early. I picked her up, and we went to Miami. We were safe there, but then the city became infested with those-things. The cold ones."

"So you've seen one."

"I passed one on my way into the grocery store, and I could feel the ice coming off of him. He had a poster of Chloe in his hand, and I knew they were after her. I went back to the house, got Chloe, and we left for here."

"There were men staking out the house in Athens."

"Yeah, when we left the Miami house, I left a fake trip schedule, saying we would arrive in Athens in December. This month. They must have taken the bait."

"Okay, and what about these other places. Did Chloe know about them?"

"She did once we arrived here. I knew that if we got separated, she would need a plan. I explained to her where the places were. I'm hoping she went to one."

"Did she-seem different to you at any time after her parents passed?"

The woman tensed at the question then quickly recovered, but Beca caught it. "Well, she was distant, sad. Like any kid would be after losing their parents to such tragedy. She-we didn't talk much. We kept moving."

"Was she-sick? Did she have a fever or-"

"No, nothing at all." Much too quick of a response, but Beca knew she was hiding something. Was it possible that Chloe truly was a shifter and Aubrey had missed something? Beca was almost sure of it.

"So, she would be going to one of these other places?"

"Yeah, probably. She had the maps. I always told her if we got separated, just to go and not wait around for me, to keep moving."

"I need you to write down the addresses."

"I-"

"Look, Alaina, I know who you are, and I appreciate what you've done, but we need to find Chloe before those things do, and trust that it's a close race right now." Alaina immediately took the pen Beca held out to her and scribbled down the addresses of each and every safe house that was designated for them.

"Okay, thanks." Beca sighed in relief when Alaina handed the pen and paper back. "We have a car coming to escort you to the main base at midnight tonight. The man will give you a safe word, 'she-wolf', when prompted, and you go with him. His name is James."

The woman nodded then hastily dropped her gaze back to her meal, shoveling food messily into her mouth. Beca stood then and ascended the stairs once more. She could not deny her suspicions. If Chloe wasn't a shifter, she was something else, and she was determined to find out.

"What's this world coming to?" she snorted to herself. "Someone opened up the Magical Book of Mythical Creatures and let all this shit loose."

When Jesse and Aubrey returned, Beca was sitting at the table drinking her coffee.

"We lost her scent five miles from here," Aubrey sighed. "She's not in any station or airport. She must be on foot."

"Aubrey, she's different," Beca returned without missing a beat. "The woman just about keeled over when I asked if Chloe had been running a fever or anything. She doesn't trust us enough to tell us, but I know she's hiding something."

"I just, there's no way, Beca. I would have known. I was around them all of the time. I would have been able to tell."

"Okay, let's think here. You never not once smelled it in the White House?"

"Only when Luke came around, but that was it."

"Maybe they found a way to mask it," Jesse offered. "I mean, the president knew what was going to happen."  
"How much time did you spend around Mrs. Beale?" Beca asked.

"Enough," Aubrey scoffed. "She was at every dinner and such, and I was with the family often. Like most of the time."

"Well, maybe it like, skipped a generation or something. Maybe it was her grandparent, but the skipped generation had to pass before Chloe could phase. It's like, a dam in a river. There's water in one side of the river like there was a shifter in her grandparents. They passed, but Mrs. Beale or Evan was the dam. Nothing could get inside of them or through them, but once they were gone, the water flowed again."

"Into Chloe," Jesse finished.

"Yeah," Beca went on.  
"That sounds ridiculous, Beca," Aubrey scoffed.

"Well, we'll see how ridiculous it sounds when we find her. Come on."

Cynthia Rose was positive that Chloe had not headed for Chicago. They lost the scent completely the moment they were five miles away from the house due west, but they strayed a bit further to be sure. There was no scent that they recognized aside from the stench of demons below. With that confirmed, they landed in a wooded area to rest. Her four comrades touched down in the grass below, quickly phasing back to their human form.

"Nothing, right?" Stacie asked, leaning against a tree.

"Nope. Nothing at all," Cynthia confirmed. "I'll text Beca."

Cynthia wrote out a simple "Nothing" message and sent it to the captain. It took Beca all of half a minute to reply. Then Cynthia was replaced with a black panther, stretching out its front paws before sitting still on the ground.

"Yes, Cap," she called.

"Head to Toronto," Beca replied. "We talked to Agent Richmond, and she's sure that Chloe is headed to one of these places, but Aubrey and Jesse lost her scent shortly after they left here due south. She must be heading north, and I am pretty sure that she's a shifter. We just don't know how, but we'll find out. We're headed north, trying to find a trail. You guys try to find Luke's trail and check back with the network, see if we can find another hit. It's been awhile, and he's probably out of Toronto."

"Got it, Cap. You guys be safe. There's tons of those things running around."

"You too, Officer. I'll be in touch."

Once Beca had shifted back into her human form, she beckoned Aubrey and Jesse with a jerk of her head to follow her outside. Just as she stepped out, she was speared in the chest by a solid object, her breath whooshing out of her instantly. She crashed into the wall of the house, sliding down against it until she was sat on the grass. The man that had attacked her rolled away, jumping to his feet, silver eyes baring down on her. Jesse pulled out his pistol, but another man descended from the roof on top of him, knocking the weapon from his hands. Aubrey didn't think. She was standing right inside the door, and she pulled her pistol swiftly. She couldn't shoot however for fear of hitting Jesse or Beca. Suddenly, she heard heavy and quick footsteps from behind her. She ducked just as another man lunged at her, causing him to fly over her head. She ripped off her clothes, and without a second thought, she phased, tearing apart the man who had come after her. Beca followed suit the moment she created enough space between her and her attacker. The man watched in curiosity then horror as she blurred then transformed into a abnormally large wolf. He pulled out his pistol, but he was much too slow. Beca's jaws clamped down on his throat, tearing it to shreds and causing him to poof into a cloud of ash. Jesse was still beneath another man, the attacker making work of his face with heavy fists. Beca knew he was on the verge of passing out. She jumped, clapping her jaws around the man's head as she somersaulted over, snapping his neck and tearing his head straight off. She landed in a crouched position, dropping the head before her as it disintegrated. She trotted over to Jesse who was groaning in pain. She licked his face lovingly, and he couldn't help but laugh.

"Get off me, mutt," he growled playfully, wiping his face with haste.

The cuts quickly began to fade as they usually did when they were injured superficially. When Beca had been stabbed the day prior, the wound had already healed by the time she phased back into a human. She sat beside Jesse as the wolf evaporated, Aubrey already standing on two legs.

"What-the-fuck just happened?" the blonde asked, flustered.

"They came back," Beca huffed. "They must have come from the north and picked up Chloe's scent. They must have been in the white house before to get her scent."

"Well, they _were _in secret service uniform. You can tell by the cufflinks. It's different from the others, and he was freaked when he saw you phase. He didn't know it was."

Beca dug through the man's pockets, finding a cell phone and a wallet. The man's credentials stated secret service, but they knew better.

"I hope these weren't the guys sent to pick up Aunt Kelly," Beca said.

"No, I trust James," Aubrey replied.

"Well, we'll have Lily pull some info off of this number if need be when we meet up."

She saved the number of the demon's phone into her own then tossed it back at its owner. They took a few more moments to compose themselves.

"Alright," Beca heaved a sigh. "Do you guys prefer this or the desert?"

"I'll have to get back at you on that," Aubrey replied curtly, Jesse nodding in agreement.

"Fair enough. Let's get out of here."

As Beca glided over tall trees, she remembered just how beautiful the east coast had always been to her. She could run through the endless forests in her preferred form free and careless, and it was a beautiful sight. She took in the smell of fresh pine and sweet fruits along the coastal waters as they exited New Jersey. The trees stopped abruptly sometime later as they entered the concrete jungle. It too was only a remnant of the prestigious city it once was. Buildings continued smoldering below, the air polluted with dust and smoke, a horde of chemicals as well. The parks were dead, snow mixing with ash all around them. The clouds gathered overhead as Beca swooped lower to the ground. There were people up and down the streets begging for change, for food and water, but most of all, for salvation. The large condor winced at the grimy, pleading faces of the people. Houses were nothing more than a pile of ashes. The streets were covered in slime and muddy water. The drainage systems were clogged. Businesses were closed down. Central Park was a wasteland, and Grand Central Station was abandoned. It had not been safe for public transportation since the New Order took over. Everyone who could afford a train or a plane was a traitor in their eyes, someone withholding their money from their country. Beca could smell the demons dwelling below, and she caught glances of silver eyes here and there as night fell upon the city. They cruised lower and lower, struggling to break through the demon smell. One thing that Beca was almost sure of? Chloe was not here. She was about to land, but she then smelled a familiar scent, Ashley. She didn't smell Denise or Jessica however. She cocked her head sideways. Aubrey was already glancing at her. They dove down, heading for the thick smell. They followed it down into an open manhole, dropping inside of a slimy sewer. When they all landed, they shifted quickly.

"Ashley?" Jesse asked, and the two women nodded. "She's alone though."  
"Yeah, I know. I didn't sense Jessica anywhere," Beca informed them. "Let me text her."

Beca quickly threw off a text, and as she did, she heard a splash of water coming from behind them down inside the tunnel. Beca looked at Aubrey then Jesse, both with wide eyed stares in her direction. The captain quickly opted to call Jessica instead, but there was no answer. There was something terribly wrong, and she knew it. She hung the messenger bag along the ladder leading up to the surface then gestured for them to follow as she once more took shape, this time as a bat. They mimicked the action, flying after their leader with precision. As they came to an intersection, Beca used her enhanced hearing to guide her. She heard another splash of water followed by a whimper. She darted down towards the sound, coming to another split tunnel and awaiting the next sound. A small cry echoed through the tunnel, and Beca followed it desperately. She was terrified of what they might find, but she knew it was Ashley. The scent became stronger as they grew closer to the disruption. As the bats turned another corner, they stopped abruptly, perching upside down on a grate above. Ashley sat strapped to a chair, three men surrounding her. One of them was none other than Bumper Allen and another, his trusty sidekick Donald. Beca cringed at the sight of him.

"I'm guessing that all you are back together again," Bumper sneered at her. "Just tell me where your beloved captain is, and we can end this all right here. No harm done."  
Ashley stared down at her lap. She was sopping wet, and a few seconds later, Beca found why. When Bumper didn't receive an answer, He grabbed Ashley by her neck, dunking her, chair and all, into the murky water a few seconds before pulling her back up. She yelped again, breathing hard, but kept her silence.

"Do we wanna try that again?" Bumper asked, a sickly sweet smile adorning his features. "Because I can play this game all day. You tell me where the midget is, and I'll let you go. You're of no use to me, but I guarantee that you better stay out of the way. I know you guys are looking for the Beale girl, but you're gonna cut that out very quickly. Anyway, you can go ahead and tell us where Mitchell is, and we'll let you go and get your friends and skip town, or you can keep up with the loyalty card and be drowned in New York's shit pond. It's completely up to you."

"You sick bastard!" Ashley suddenly roared, stunning the room including her comrades as the girl was always so quiet, almost as if she wasn't even there, and she surely never cursed. "You were a Marine, and now you're a traitor!"  
"No, see, that's where you're wrong, Officer Carter. I'm not the traitor in this new order. You are. You and your entire shitty company. You're the ones that will be peppering wanted posters pretty soon. All I have to do is make one call, and I can have every single one of you on America's most wanted list. I mean, they're already after you really. They know who Posen and Mitchell are affiliated with, and you guys haven't been seen since Mitchell's asylum escape."

"Why-are you doing this, Bumper?"

"You see, the new president asked me personally, through an assistant, to play back up on his plan to acquire the Beale girl. We have big things coming to us for our cooperation. That fuckin' marine getup is worthless now."

By now, Beca was beyond angry. She retreated back to the entrance of the tunnel and phased back before retrieving her clothes. Jesse and Aubrey followed soon after.

"What are we doing, Cap?" Jesse asked, pulling on his shorts..

"Kill Donald and that other kid," she growled. "I'll take Bumper. He obviously has valuable information, and we need it. If he won't give it up, we kill him too."

Aubrey and Jesse pulled the pistols from the bag as their captain did, and Beca led them back down into the tunnel as Ashley squealed again, echoing through the corridor. Beca jumped from wall to wall to avoid splashing, her counterparts following each movement with graceful finesse. They landed just outside of the entrance to the small chamber Bumper and his goons occupied. Beca took one deep breath, stepping into the entrance way. Aubrey and Jesse wasted no time shooting down Donald and the other boy. Bumper whirled around to find himself looking down the barrel of a handgun. Beca smirked. He held his hands up, still in shock from the turn of events. Jesse untied Ashley, and when she stood up, Beca shoved Bumper into the chair so Jesse could tie him up.

"Ashley, where's Jessica and Denise?" Beca asked, eyes still trained on Bumper.

"They-he knocked them out, put them in a garage down the street-with a car running," Ashley informed her quickly.

"Jesse, take Ashley, and go get our girls, will you?"

"On it."

With that, Jesse and Ashley were gone in a flash. Aubrey stood up beside Beca now.

"Look at you, Posen," Bumper snorted. "Still got that stick up your ass."

Beca slammed the butt of her pistol into the cocky man's mouth.

"Oops," the brunette said sarcastically. "Now, listen here. I need you to get to talking, or I'm going to stick this gun so far up your ass, you'll-well you'll actually probably enjoy it, so instead, let's do this. You start talking, and I won't kill you."  
"Why the hell should I tell you traitors anything?" he scoffed incredulously. "If you don't kill me, they surely will."

"We can get you out of here. Take you back to base."

"No, I-"

"How will they know you told us? It isn't like we're gonna go rub it in their faces."

"They'll know when I don't come home with the girl! Besides, it isn't as if you could."  
"What the hell does that mean?"

"President Galbraith doesn't ever leave that fuckin' lair."  
"What lair?"

"The lair in-oh no. Nice try, Mitchell. I'll give you that."

"Bumper, I'm on a tight schedule, so skip the bullshit, and get it moving."

"I'm not-" she pressed the barrel hard against his temple. "I can't."

"You heard I was bat-shit crazy, didn't you?" she asked peeling off her clothing and handing it to Aubrey, causing Bumper to smirk. "You wanna witness it?"

"Please, Mitchell, you're all hype. What are you gonna do? Rape me? You can't-"

Before he could utter another word, Beca blurred out of focus and was replaced with a rather large wolf who growled into his face, just centimeters between them. The color drained from Bumper's face, and even Aubrey looked mortified at Beca's tactic. Bumper jumped back, sending himself into murky water. Aubrey quickly reached out, grabbing the front of his shirt, and pulled him back up as he yelped in terror. Seconds later, the wolf disappeared, and the tiny brunette stood before him with rage filling her own steel blue eyes. She took her clothes from a shocked Aubrey and pulled them back on. Then she brandished her dagger.

"Either way we do this, you're gonna end up dying a slow, painful death unless you start fuckin' talking, Allen," Beca growled.

"I-uh, what the-FUCK WAS THAT!" the man screeched, but Beca pressed the point of the dagger at his eye, and he flinched. "Okay." He sighed deeply. "Fine, okay."

"Start from the top, and don't leave anything out. I'll know when you're lying."

"I-we were sent out by Galbraith to find Chloe. They got a tip she was heading back to Atlanta, but they sent their more special soldiers out there and sent us here."

"Why here?"

"Because they captured her protector a couple hours ago, and she said you guys were coming up here to find her." Beca glanced at Aubrey a moment. "We were sent to New Jersey originally because those-things caught a scent down there."

"Okay, and tell me about these special soldiers."

"Look, I don't know what the fuck they are, but they're fuckin' creepy. They have these silver-ish eyes, and their skin is really cold and really hard, like-metal or glass. They're really fast. I-we-they're something different."  
"Are they watched closely by Galbraith?"  
"No, they're like his little militia, but they do most of the ordering. We answer to General Stafford."

"Stafford? _Our _general Stafford? I thought he died."

"No, he-uh- was turned. Brainwashed or whatever."

"Why weren't you?"

"We made the choice to join. They didn't need to."

"What do they know about us?"

He scoffed. "The whole fuckin' militia is looking for you. You're the rogue marines that ran from the government and are trying to disrupt their plans."

"That's it?"

"What else is-well they surely haven't mentioned you being oversized fuckin' dogs!"

"And Chloe? You don't know where she is?"

"No, like I said. We followed the protector's lead."

"Why do they want her?"  
"I-I don't know. I guess she was supposed to die when her parents did. They know she was close to your company, and if anyone could stir up a revolt, who better than the dead president's daughter, the secretary of defense's best friend? That's all it's ever sounded like. They never really gave us another reason."

"So you said those things caught a scent. What do you mean?"

"Well, they were all given a sample of the Beale girl's scent from the ones that went to the White House the day of the bombing. They took a lot of her stuff to use to track her. Yeah, they smell. It's weird, but they're like-bloodhounds. Plus, they have a smell that coincides with you. I don't really know how marines smell, but yeah. They said they smell marines when you guys are close." Beca snorted.

"Okay, got it. I think that will suffice for now, right Bree?"

"Oh, have you seen Luke?" Aubrey asked now after thinking a moment.

"Colonel Bryant?" Bumper asked, quirking an eyebrow.

"Yes."

"He, uh-he-"

"For Christ's sakes, spit it out, boy!" Beca hollered.

"They've been after him. He led them all over Canada. They lost him though near Montreal. They caught another scent earlier today, and they've been trying to track it. It wasn't Luke's though, so now they're a bit confused."

"Another scent?" Something hit Beca then, and her eyes widened. She swiftly turned, heading for the entrance.

"Beca!" Aubrey cried out, watching her incredulously.

The brunette turned back. "What?" The blonde gestured to Bumper. "What?"

"You showed him your phase!"

"Oh, right."

"Oh, I won't-" Before he finished, Beca was before him again, her dagger pushed through his neck, protruding from the opposite side. She pulled it out, wiping it on his shirt before her and Aubrey darted out of the tunnel. They reached the entrance, Beca pulling on the bag and taking phase as a bird once more with Aubrey on her tail. She honed in on Jesse's scent as best she could, following the trail until it was very strong. They were led into a neighborhood of destruction, only a few houses still standing. They landed before a one-story house with half the roof blown off, the garage door ajar with a black Honda parked inside. Jesse was crouched beside the car, Jessica and Denise laying beside him and Ashley hovering over his shoulder. Beca checked the perimeter, and she could make out three men stalking their way. Even from this distance, she could make out the glint of silver from their eyes. She darted into the garage, and Aubrey followed. Phasing as quickly as possible, they pulled on their clothes.

"Demons," she hissed to the others, picking up Jessica without a second thought. "Let's get them inside."

Jesse quickly scooped up Denise as Aubrey got the door open. They slipped inside just as the demons passed in front of the house. They took a look in the garage, halting as they sniffed the air. Jesse peered through the door discreetly, watching them take deep whiffs before moving along.

"Huh," he said, closing the door once more.

"What?" Beca asked.

"They took a whiff, but-they didn't get our scent."

"Really? How did-"  
"Maybe it's the gas," Ashley offered. "The carbon monoxide."

"You know, come to think of it, we passed a lot of them on the way in," Beca pondered. "The air's so polluted though that maybe they couldn't sense us."

"That's possible. I mean, the gas would probably disrupt their senses."  
Just as she finished her sentence, Jessica sat up coughing and hitting her chest. Jesse hoisted her up, guiding her over to the sink to release the mucus built up. Denise rose abruptly after Jessica, finding room beside the shorter blonde and pounding against her chest to dislodge the blockage. Beca slumped down at the table.

"Ashley, text Cynthia Rose," the captain sighed. "Tell her I need to talk to her. Ten minutes."

"Got it," Ashley replied promptly, pulling out her phone from Jessica's bag and typing out a quick text to her comrade.

"Ten minutes, and we all shift. Bumper's given us some info."

"How the-" Jesse began, but Aubrey stopped him.

"Don't ask," the blonde hissed.

Jesse just nodded, turning to check on Denise and Jessica, who were now gulping down cups of tap water. The group fell silent once Cynthia confirmed the meeting, and ten minutes flew by. They entered the living room and spread out, stripping down and taking form. Their bodies distorted in unison before the room looked like a zoo. The large brown wolf settled down upon the carpet between the elegant lioness and a lean cheetah, Jessica. She sat across from Ashley and Denise, a beautiful snow leopard and terrifyingly massive Komodo dragon. Beca waited a few minutes before she heard Cynthia Rose confirm her entire group was present. Stacie, Amy, Benji and Lily sounded off at that. Beca gave a curt nod to her own group.

"We ran into Bumper Allen," Beca began, and Amy snorted.

"What was that bozo doing?" she asked.

"He was down here looking for Chloe. They captured Alaina Richmond earlier today. She told them we were headed here. They captured Denise, Ashley and Jessica, but luckily I caught onto Ashley's scent on the way into town. They're all safe and sound here, but we interrogated that cocky bastard. Those things don't know what we are. They associate our scents as that of a marine. They're after us because we are what they call traitors, not demons or beasts or whatever. That's why they're after Luke too, and that may be why Luke hasn't shifted in a long time. Anyway, Bumper also said that those things were hot on Luke's trail earlier today, but they got confused by another scent that matched his. Now, I can't think of any other Marine who would be up in Canada, but I may know a shifter." The wolf eyed the lioness a moment, but the lioness stayed silent. "Chloe's scent led through here, but we dropped off of it to save Ashley. It didn't stop in the city though, and now I'm sure of it. I'm completely positive that Chloe is one of us now. Her scent's changed. Those things thought it was another marine which is why they confused it with Luke's. That just means it's another shifter. It led them east, and Luke was headed west when they got mixed up somewhere around Montreal. The last place on that list was French Canada. The address Alaina gave me earlier was to a place in Nova Scotia. I'm really hoping she didn't give up that much information to them, but I won't hold my breath. Are you guys in Toronto already?"

"Yeah, but we can meet up with you after we head north a bit to see if we can get a track on Luke," Cynthia Rose assured her. "You guys just go find Chloe. She's obviously attracting some heat, and she needs saving more than the Colonel."

"Speaking of which, I'll warn you that Bumper and his goons were taking orders from General Stafford."

"What? Like _thee_ General Stafford?" Stacie asked in disbelief.

"Yeah, he wasn't killed. I'm starting to think none of them were. I don't think they wanna kill us or Luke. They wanna brainwash us like they did Stafford and get us on their side. I mean, even if they're a new government, Japan still has our number. They need soldiers, and they've heard of us. Bumper also said that the president, Galbraith, he has a lair or something. I forgot to ask him again where it was once he started talking. Dammit."

"How did you get him to start talking anyway?" Amy asked.

Aubrey looked at Beca with a predatory glare, and Beca let her tongue fall out, licking the lioness's snout playfully. Her group chuckled.

"Let's just say, I bared my teeth," Beca at last answered. "Okay, so let's head out. I know we're tired and hungry, and I can see Jesse getting impatient over here. He's about to start movie withdrawals any minute, but I need you guys to stay focused. Let's get Chloe, and we can take a rest."

"No worries, Cap," Cynthia Rose assured her. "It's the job. It's what we're made for."

"That's right. Thanks, guys. Move out."

With that, human forms began to take shape once more around the living room. Beca surveyed her team a moment as they dressed. She could read the exhaustion, the frustration, the anxiety written all over their wary faces, but none of them complained. They didn't sigh heavily or grunt or anything. Some were even smiling, and it was why she loved them most. The optimism they portrayed balanced out her characteristic negativity when she first entered active duty. They all knew what they had to do. It had not been their battle initially although they had known Chloe. They had survived their four years in the military, and they had moved on in life, but they had come straightaway when Aubrey beckoned because though they were no longer an official military company, they were all a tight-knit group of friends, and with two of their own missing, there was nothing that could slow them down, especially not something as trivial as sleeping or eating. Pshh.

Beca was grateful when the concrete jungle became rich forest with fresh air, snow blanketing the ground as they flew over Maine. The trees were tall, their leaves shed but their beauty remaining. The chill wind was always soothing to their overachieving body temperature, and as it blew through her feathers, the condor chuckled to herself. It tickled her belly as she glided across the wind current, taking in the sights of peaceful forest land. She planned on landing the moment they crossed into Canada, taking on her wolf form to run through the trees and feel that familiar thrill that had first introduced her to her new identity. Around her, her team had phased quite a few times into different types of birds then small animals that shot across the ground below then smaller birds to fit on Beca's back lightly or in her bag. They were exhausted for sure being out of their preferred form, but still they refrained from any complaints. Their captain was their strength, and though they knew why she was able to keep up so much endurance as the large bird of prey, they didn't mind it. They knew she didn't mind carrying them at times or watching them run beneath her. They all felt complete when they were around her, especially Aubrey. Now, as she sat on the condor's back, gripping her neck feathers with the tiny hands of a meerkat, she felt completely safe and relieved. She knew it was Beca by the tension in her back but also the shine in her eyes when she cocked her head to the side, making sure that Aubrey was still safely atop her. They had become the most unbelievable pair of best friends. They used snarky sarcasm with each other most of the time, and they were best with their banter, but they loved each other. They took care of each other. Beca hadn't agreed to come back just to get out of the hospital. She was used to the four white padded walls. She had no problem there. She had come because Aubrey had asked, and her determination deepened every time she read and reread Chloe's journal entries.

The damsel seemed so young and innocent, and if she was now phasing, she was probably more scared than any of them had been. They had been filled with anger, rage, the need to avenge tragedy. Their natural instincts had already been fueled in their childhood. Despite losing her parents, Chloe didn't come off as one who could hurt someone. She seemed so naive, and judging by the stories the company told about her, she was always a vibrant and bubbly girl. She wasn't accustomed to being sad or hurt or losing something dear enough to shatter her heart. Not only had she lost her only family, she had been thrown into a never-ending race to escape all of those after her for simply being the president's daughter. What else could she possibly know? How could this young girl start up a revolt? It also sounded way too simple, too dramatic for it to be such a simple reason. Beca was aware there were so many missing pieces to the puzzle still. Finding Chloe and Luke were just small pieces. Their rescue mission would be in vain if they didn't stop this New Order for good and restore their country.

They crossed the Bay of Fundy into Kingston, Nova Scotia and landed on the eastern edge of the town. The wind and rain and snow were picking up quickly around them, but they of course didn't mind. They took to the trees quickly before phasing into human form, Aubrey carefully hopping from Beca's lowered frame first. When they all sat on the snow-covered ground, naked but not cold at all, Beca pulled the address list from her bag. She scanned it until she reached the address of the safe house on the island then folded it back up again.

"We're headed to Halifax," she explained. "It's along the far eastern coast, directly across from here. I wanna go on in my preferred form. You guys can choose what you would like, but it would be a nice break from the skies with the wind picking up."

Her team grinned slyly at her, knowing how much she loved running around as a big, furry wolf. They understood. She was graceful in any form, but the wolf was the most elegant and pronounced. It was so Beca in every shape and form from the steely blue eyes to the chocolate fur to the lopsided grin it flashed in times of humor.

"Yeah, I'm down with the wolf thing for a bit," Jesse grinned. "Once we get deeper in there, I'll probably bear down. No pun intended."  
"Pun always intended," Beca smirked.

"I guess I'd be more likely to see a wolf here than a lion, right?" Aubrey sighed.

"Yeah, a normal sized one maybe. No matter what we are, we're different," Denise pointed out. "We're over-sized, though I'd rather be a wolf than a lizard right now."  
"It could be like the hills have eyes," Jesse brightened. "We could be mutated."

"I did feel like a Ninja Turtle back in that sewer," Beca backed him then her face fell into a scowl. "Ugh! You and your damn movies."  
"Yeah, yeah, you loved them."

"Jesse, you had us watching 'The Breakfast Club' in the middle of the desert. Had the major walked in, we would have lost a slew of badass points."  
"Yeah, but then we took down the Iraqi government, so we won 'em all back."

"Whatever. Let's just go."

Beca led her pack of over-sized wolves through the trees and around the hundreds of small ponds and lakes skillfully as always, the rush of running across the snow-covered woods enthralling the captain fully. Her fur blew in the wind, navy blue eyes illuminated beneath the moonlight. She even had the urge to howl a few times but restrained herself. They were able to maneuver stealthily through small towns since the weather had most of its inhabitants indoors, and she was grateful for it. She didn't want to stop just yet. She was enjoying herself all too much. It was why they had dubbed it their "preferred form". It was where they felt most comfortable at any given time.

The moment they rounded Lake Lewis, the presence of a shifter was evident. Beca continued to head for the safe house, but the strong scent began to lead them north. She slowed a moment, falling into an encirclement of trees before phasing to speak to her team. They followed her example until everyone stood in human form.

"The scent's veering off stronger north," Aubrey confirmed, reading Beca's mind.  
"Okay, Aubrey, Ashley and I will head north," Beca instructed, pulling out the address from her bag once more. "And Jesse, you lead Jessica and Denise to that house. Be very careful though. It could be another ambush. You catch a scent of those demons, and you stand down and contact me. Do you understand?"

Jesse nodded, taking his clothes from her and strapping them to his ankle after slipping the address into his shorts pocket. Jessica and Denise secured their clothes along their ankles as well then they all gave a reassuring nod to one another before taking shape and darting off in separate directions. Ashley's tan and white wolf form stayed right beside Aubrey as they followed their captain further north. The snow was coming in flurries now, but all was silent. Still, the scent filled their senses as it strengthened, becoming more dense around them. Beca allowed it to navigate her. They came into a small clearing in the trees beside a pond, and it was where the scent was so powerful that Beca looked up, sure that it was right above them. They saw nothing. Beca nuzzled Aubrey's neck, pushing her to go to the left. Ashley took it as a sign and turned right, the three of them spreading out across the clearing and checking in the bushes. Beca honed in on the scent, but it was all around her, encircling her and closing in it seemed. She wasn't sure what to make of it. A shifter's scent was never that strong once it vacated the vicinity. It was here somewhere, but if it was Chloe, there was a slim chance she had learned how to morph into anything aside from her preferred form. Beca suddenly wondered if maybe she had been cursed with the small rodent set, chuckling to herself at the idea. I mean, it was bad enough that Denise was the world's largest lizard times ten. What would they do with a specialized prairie dog? If anyone was looking at their captain at that moment, they would recognize that lopsided grin they loved so much, tongue lulling out to the side with big wide eyes. Beca dropped her head a moment, trying to control the internal fit of giggles she had burst into. It was then that she saw something move in her peripheral to her left, a very large figure beyond the bushes. Her ears perked up as she positioned her gaze in the direction. She could make out what seemed to be a rather large figure. Another ruffle of bushes, and she took off after the shadow. She raced after it, the scent still strong, and she was almost sure what she was chasing was the offender. Each member of the company had a distinct scent, but you couldn't differentiate between them until you knew them thoroughly. Therefore, newcomers like this one had a general smell, one that could immediately be marked as not one of their own members but a shifter nonetheless.

Beca came into another clearing, coming to halt as she lost sight of the figure. She stretched out her front paws a moment before turning around in a circle, looking for any sign of movement. When she saw none, she stood completely still, listening for any disturbance. She heard nothing again. She thought that maybe she had been hearing things before. Her anxiety and ADHD and desire to find the shifter getting the best of her. She hung her head a moment to clear it, and is she did, their was a quick ruffle of bushes behind her. As she spun around, she was met with the sight of a massive ginger-haired wolf lunging at her. It's teeth sunk into Beca's shoulder, and she yelped in pain but quickly recovered, rolling over to clamp down on the wolf's neck. She didn't want to kill it. She needed it calm down, and pressure in the neck usually elicited this. Not now however as the wolf bucked and pawed up below her. They rolled around in the snow, swapping power positions over and over. Beca wasn't even sure if this was a newborn shifter or not because its skill was impeccable.

Aubrey was exhausted. She could smell the shifter they were tracking, but it was much too widespread to hone in on. She could feel her body lilting as she turned back in search of Beca. She was hoping Jesse had called her to tell her they found her best friend at the safe house. She was on desperate now though she concealed it for the company's sake. It was her who had yanked them back in, who had beckoned them and caused them to throw away a life of undisturbed freedom for a life of battles with demons and a constant on-the-run schedule. She loved them dearly for risking everything to help her find Chloe, and she knew Chloe would appreciate it as well especially after what she had written about the company in her journal. She would be ecstatic to finally meet the "demon captain" and see her Barden High friends again, and Aubrey chuckled to herself. As she approached another clearing where she heard noises, her body gave out on her current wolf form, unable to keep it up any longer. She made her way into the edge of the clearing, but she froze before she could take her lioness form. Her jaw dropped as she took in the sight before her. Her captain was in a very intense fight with a gigantic red wolf, and Aubrey could not believe what she was seeing. The wolf was larger than Beca even, and it was a sight they had never seen. Even Benji was smaller than Beca in his wolf form though he was a massive gorilla usually. Aubrey's eyes flitted across the scene as it played out, and she could not move. She was frozen there on the spot. Then at one point, Beca was able to mount the larger wolf from behind, and she bit into its back shallowly. The red wolf looked up in her direction with a yelp. It was then that Aubrey's emerald green eyes locked in with the brightest cerulean blue orbs she had ever seen...


	5. Superficial Wounds

**_A/N: Thanks everyone for the reviews! We're taking a new road together I guess, but I'm glad I'm changing your judgement on supernatural and fantasy fics. I'm trying. It's going to be a great ride, and we're just getting started! But who's ready for some Bechloe interaction and some more Mitchen friend fluff? I am! Let's go!_**

_Aubrey was sure that she was dreaming. The voice floated lightly around in her head, calling her name softly. She purred at the sound, her large paw coming up to graze her jaw. The voice sounded again. She was definitely dreaming. It happened many a times over the course of the year, her captain's melodic voice feeling her ears and soothing her worries if only for a moment. She smiled at the sound. Suddenly, the voice became desperate and hurried. Aubrey jolted up onto her feet. Her company was surrounding the tent, guarding her as it was her night to stay in preferred form just in case the captain called. No, this wasn't a dream. It was finally happening._

_"B-beca?" she hissed into the thought._

_"Aubrey," the captain sighed in relief. "Thank God. I-I shifted finally. I healed enough to do it."_

_"Oh, yes. Thank God. Where are you? Do you know?"  
"I'm in the dungeon beneath the palace in Karbala. H-how long have I been gone?"_

_"It's-It's been a year, Becs. We've searched the whole desert for you! We lost your scent after awhile though, but we stayed in the area. They tried to send us home. They left you for dead, but we knew better, and so did Luke."_

_"I've been asleep for months then! Damn. Okay. I have the coordinates. One second. Let me think." She subconsciously recited the memorized coordinates. "Got it?"_

_"I got it, Becs. I'm going to wake up the others, and we're moving out."_

_"Okay...and Bree?"_

_"Yeah?"_

_"Thanks for not giving up on me."  
"Never, Cap. We stick together."_

_"Okay, I'm gonna phase back. When I catch your scent, I'll take form. There are guards on all perimeters, but we came in through a tunnel just outside the city. There will be two guards outside of an outhouse. Take them down, and there will be a tunnel down there. Don't worry. It's clean. Just follow it, and you'll come up in the garden shed."_

_"Jeez, Becs, they didn't cover your face?_

_"No." Aubrey could hear the brunette's sheepish grin. "I pretended I was knocked out."_

_"Okay. Sit tight. We're coming full force."_

_"Be safe, lieutenant."_

_"I will. You too, Captain."_

_"Always."_

Aubrey could not believe what she was seeing. How could this happen? How could she be wrong on such a serious matter? How could she have missed it? She could no longer deny it though. She knew those eyes better than any.

"Chloe?" Aubrey called out, quickly dressing herself as the shock resided.

The two beasts froze, the large copper wolf looking up at the familiar voice, eyes widening as she took in the sight of the blonde. Tossing Beca aside, she raced towards Aubrey, stopping abruptly before her and wagging her tail before mercilessly licking her best friend's face. Aubrey chuckled, gently pushing the redhead away and scratching right beneath its snout. The loving touch was enough to calm Chloe, and slowly, the large wolf began to blur before it disappeared, replaced by a slender redheaded girl. Chloe, ignoring the fact she was now nude, enveloped Aubrey into a bone-crushing hug, the blonde choking at the hold.

"Aubrey!" she sung happily. "You found me!"

"Yeah, I did!" Aubrey returned, patting Chloe's back. "I thought you were blonde."

"Yeah, I-well, the first time I turned into that-wolf and turned back, I was red again."

Behind the two excited friends was now a frozen chocolate wolf, navy blue eyes two shades darker as she took in the sight. The long legs, the slender waist, the toned back muscles, the bright fiery red hair. No, none of that compared to the glimmering ocean-like eyes that she could see when the redhead released Aubrey and turned to the side. Beca took a subconscious step to her own side, an angle that gave her a direct look at the deep pools before her. They were the epitome of Disney princess features, the color so vivid and bright. Sure, the entire company of shifters had this characteristic. It was how Beca first acquired the assumption that Chloe was one of them, but these eyes. Oh, these eyes were superior to all else, and Beca felt as if she was drowning in them. Time froze in that moment as she was drawn to them. She gulped, stepping back a little to compose herself. She could not believe the millions of emotions flooding her body as Chloe's orbs were now seared into the inside of her eyelids. What the hell was this?

Beca shifted quickly, throwing on her signature smirk and sarcastic demeanor.

"Well, well, well, look who turned out to be Clifford the big red dog," a snarky voice floated to Chloe and Aubrey from behind. "'She can't be a shifter! I would've known!' Wrong! I'm always right, Lieutenant."

Chloe turned to find herself looking into the deep navy blue eyes of a short brunette covered in tattoos and various scars. Chloe gasped. It was her. It was the notorious demon captain Beca Mitchell.

"Shut it, Cap," Aubrey shot back as the nude brunette approached. "She nearly kicked your ass all over this clearing."

"Yeah, yeah, fear brings out the best in us. You know that, Bree."

Chloe's eyes remained glued to the legendary Marine before her. She took in her fair yet pale skin, her toned physique and bulging biceps. The smirk playing across her lips was fascinating, and her eyes were mesmerizing to say the very least. The picture Aubrey had given her and the many others in all of the public media did her no justice. It was enticing beyond all measure. Chloe was enchanted by the scene before her, the melodic voice, and she hadn't noticed Beca so close to her until the brunette reached up and shut her gaping mouth for her.

"You're drooling, puppy," she chided playfully.

"You-you're Beca Mitchell, the d-"

"The demon captain, right. As you can see. I'm no demon."

"Yeah, just a big fluffy puppy," Aubrey cooed, tickling below Beca's chin before the brunette swatted it away.

"I'm a wolf, not a puppy, Bree. Wolves are badass. Puppies are-well, puppies. So, Red, how are you? Are you okay? Did the phasing freak you out?"

"It did, at first. It-happened this morning, and I didn't know what to do, but then those men came, and I left before anything happened. I broke into the forest outside of town, and I-just ran until I got here."

"And no one saw you?" Aubrey asked incredulously.

"Well, I stayed hidden. I, uh, well, I tried changing into something else, and I managed to get some wings to get out of Atlantic City and through New York. I couldn't be a human again. I-didn't have any clothes after the first time." She smiled sheepishly.  
"Wow, that's impressive," Beca admitted with a chuckle. "She phased into a bird her first morning out, and I still have to carry Amy and Stacie in a bag? Hmmm. Something's very wrong with that entire sentence."  
"Oh, hush," Aubrey hissed, pushing her playfully. "Let's get you back up to the house, and you can tell us everything. Beca, get in touch with Jesse."

Beca nodded, stepping away from the two women and shifting before calling out to Jesse. The bear responded immediately.

"How does it look?" she asked.

"It's clear," Jesse replied. "We're already inside."

"Well, we found Chloe. I'll get in touch with CR when we get there."

"You found Chloe? Really?"

"Yeah, in the form of Clifford the Big Red Dog. Details later. See you in a bit."

Just as Beca phased back, Ashley stumbled into the clearing in her own human form.

"Gave out?" Beca questioned, eying the wary girl.

"Yeah, I couldn't hold it-" she then noticed a third occupant. "Is this-"

"Yep," Aubrey replied proudly. "Ashley, this is Chloe Beale. Chloe, this is Ashley Carter, our resident Snow Leopard."  
"Snow leopard?" Chloe repeated, shaking the girl's hand. "That's awesome. Probably so much cooler than-"

"Don't finish that sentence, Beale," Beca cut in, quirking an eyebrow. "No one, and I mean _no one _disrespects the wolf."

"Sir, yes, sir," the redhead replied with a sarcastic salute.

"Now, let's get out of here. Jesse's got the house waiting for us."

"You remember the directions?" Aubrey asked.

"Of course, woman," Beca shot back. "What kinda captain would I be if I didn't?"  
"An evil one. Like a demon."

Beca snorted, shoving the blonde playfully before stepping back and blurring out into a wolf yet again. Aubrey and Ashley followed suit, Aubrey stripping once more and securing her clothes, becoming their over-sized feline selves. Chloe gawked a moment at the large lioness that replaced her best friend, already a bit thrown off by the intense chemistry between Beca and the blonde. Aubrey was never so playful with anyone other than Chloe. She shook the thought however and focused on the elegant predator before her. She knew it was Aubrey because of the bright green eyes watching her. Chloe shut her eyes, concentrating on the phase a few moments before her body went numb. Feeling returned seconds later, and she found herself on all fours, help up by large red paws. Beca then led them back through the forest towards the coast. It wasn't much of a distance, but the rain had begun to pour mercilessly down upon the island. Beca cautiously led the animals through the streets of Halifax down dark alleys and backroads until at last, her paws sunk into soft sand. She honed in on Jesse's scent now and allowed it to guide her the remainder of the way. They landed before a rather large beach house almost identical to the one on Miami Beach except it looked older, and it was a log cabin more so than a normal modern structure. Four large logs supported a loft at the front of the home, jutting out in front of the fore-wall, high pointed roofs decorating its top. A large wooden staircase led up to the loft, the front door beside it decorated in stained glass. It was three stories, and beautiful was an understatement. Backed by a vast forest and enclosed by towering trees, the place was immaculate. It had big windows and balconies on each floor, intricate banisters carved for the railings lining each. As they stopped in front of the place, the front door opened to reveal Jesse and his goofy grin. Beca phased back first, eying him knowingly.

"You found movies, didn't you?" she asked.

"You know it!" he answered triumphantly. "Oh, and is this Chloe?"

He now looked over his captain's shoulder at the tall redhead who had just appeared. "Yes, that would be the elusive Chloe Beale we've been after," Beca replied.

"Well, one down, one to go, right?"

"Right. Now, let's go see if this place can provide some R&R."

After contacting Cynthia Rose and confirming that they had lost Luke's scent somewhere in the mountains, Beca summoned them back to Nova Scotia. When she finished with that, the group took turns showering while Ashley and Jessica tended to their laundry. They found clothes in the various wardrobes around the house, throwing on whatever fit. Jesse and Aubrey prepared dinner, a grand meal that the team hadn't seen in a long while but were grateful for. Cynthia Rose and company arrived rather quickly, and all of them embraced Chloe with great enthusiasm. They hadn't seen her in years, and they never thought a reunion would be on these circumstances, but it was how it was. They were just glad she was safe and sound. The redhead proceeded to tell the tale of her fight with their captain, Aubrey throwing in commentary, and the group chuckled while Beca grunted at various intervals. As they settled down at the table together, Beca at the head, the questions began.

"So..." Beca clicked her tongue and eyed Chloe, the redhead sitting beside her and across from Aubrey. "Why is the whole world after you, Beale?"

Chloe almost choked on her coffee at the forwardness. Aubrey gave her an apologetic smile before saying, "Sorry, Chlo, Captain doesn't know what light conversation is."

"And don't you forget it," Beca returned with a lopsided grin at Aubrey before turning back to Chloe. "Go on..."

"Well," Chloe sighed. "No one really gave me much to go on. No one said anything. The most Alaina gave me were the addresses and directions to the safe houses, but when those men came, they kept talking about taking me back to the big guy on the island. I-I don't know which island, but that's what they said."

"That must be Galbraith's lair or whatever."  
"So they just kept saying that they had to finish what they started before he could come back."  
"You're saying that this guy can't come back out of hiding until you're gone?" Jesse asked, his mouth full of mashed potatoes.  
"I guess that's what it sounded like, yeah."

"Okay, let's back up," the captain sighed. "Chloe, now that we know you're a shifter, you know the signs you exert, right?"

"Well, yeah, they're the same signs that Aubrey and Luke...Wait-where's Luke?"

"He's our next target. You threw those demons off his scent when you entered Canada. That's who Cynthia Rose and the others were looking for out in Montreal."

"Oh. Well, yeah, they were the same signs you guys had. The really hot skin, the super fast movements, the inability to sit still, and-my eyes got a lot-brighter after my parents died. It sounds so weird, but-"

"But true. It happened to all of us. The ADHD as well. It's a quirk. So, did your parents ever show any signs like that?"  
"No, and I tried to think if they had, but they didn't. I was trying to figure out how it happened. I thought that maybe it was because I knew you guys, but that didn't make sense." She giggled. "Then everyone would be one, but I do remember once, when I was little girl. I was maybe six or seven, and my mom and dad talked about someone named Abby always being 'hot like she was running an eternal fever'. I don't know who that is though. I've never met an Abby. I don't even know if it would be connected to me at all, but I somehow recalled the memory after I shifted."

"Your middle name's Abigail though," Aubrey pointed out, "so she must have been close to your parents. That's probably why they picked that name."

Chloe could only shrug.

"Did you ever meet your grandparents?" Beca proceeded.

"No, I never met any other family. Who knows? I don't even know my grandparents' names, so maybe my grandmother was Abby or something."

"Boom!" Beca stood up, giving Jesse a high five as Aubrey grumbled. "I told you. I'm always right. A dam in the river, lieutenant." She pinched the blonde's cheeks.

"Beca, that doesn't prove anything!" Aubrey sighed exasperatedly, swatting her hand away. "She never even met them."

"But it's still the most logical, so I win by default."

"What are you guys talking about?" Chloe giggled.

"Well, I told Aubrey here that your phase skipped a generation," Beca explained. "She didn't believe you could be a shifter because she would've known if your parents were."  
"Yeah, because-they have a different scent, right? I could smell you guys when you arrived. That's how I found you."

"Yeah, but she never smelled it on your parents, so I told her it's like water in a dam. Your parent was the dam, and the phase couldn't cross from your grandparents to you until your parents passed away, which I'm really sorry about. I lost my parents too. Both of them at the same time."  
Aubrey and the rest of the company froze mid-chew, looking up at the captain, who was smiling at Chloe. She had never told anyone there this fact apart from Aubrey, and that was just recently. She had spilled it to Chloe without missing a beat. Beca felt all eyes on her, but when she looked up, everyone ducked their head. She gave them a curious look but then realized why they were all so silent now, so she averted her gaze to her plate as well swiftly. Chloe looked around the room with confusion in her eyes.

"So, Chloe, did you get a look at those demons too?" Cynthia Rose asked quickly to cover up the sudden awkwardness in the room.

"The guys with the silver eyes?" Chloe clarified. "Yeah, I guess, a few times. When they were chasing me through Quebec, I sort of-attacked one. I tore its head off, and it exploded or something."

"Wow, nice," Stacie chimed. "Already stacking a body count, Red."  
"I guess so."

"You get used to it," Ashley offered. "I wasn't much for the kill either, but I guess you do what you have to do."  
"The only reason _we're _used to it is because we were in the Marines for four years," Jessica assured her. "We had no choice."

"Yeah, but Chloe wouldn't hurt a fly usually," Aubrey laughed lightly. "Don't worry, Chlo, it's in our instincts. You attacked him based solely on the fact that he was a threat to you, but they're not human, so it's okay."

"Did you happen to run into old Bumper Allen during your journey?" Amy snorted.

"Bumper?" Chloe asked. "Ugh, why that ding-a-ling?"

"He was after you too," Beca now answered. "We had to take care of him back in New York. He captured three of my officers."

"Are they okay?" Ashley, Jessica and Denise gave a small wave, and Chloe chuckled. "I guess they are then."

"Yeah, Cap always makes sure of that," Denise smiled.

"You have been known to be quite the overprotective one," Chloe eyed Beca.

"Well, I sort of owe them after not leaving me in the desert to die when I was taken as a prisoner," Beca sighed nonchalantly then looked over at Aubrey. "They waited for me."

"Wow, you guys must have some great war stories."  
"Oh, yeah," Jesse agreed happily. "There was this time on the coast when Aubrey mauled this pirate guy in her dolphin phase."

"I-was-a killer-WHALE!" Aubrey growled back.

"Okay, Shamu, Jesus! Calm down!"

The group laughed heartily before continuing dinner. It was nice to have finally accomplished and completed an objective. They would at last be able to get some well-needed rest. Luke was still missing, but Beca was now sure that he was okay. He was colonel for a reason. He could handle himself. They would regain their strength and continue on their mission.

After dinner, Beca sat down with Cynthia Rose as her second lieutenant marked out the places on the Canadian map where they searched and lost the colonel's scent. They marked through their trail to Chloe as well, and from what the map entailed, Luke was still headed northeast.

"You think he's phased?" Beca asked her.

"Yeah, but not into a lion," Cynthia Rose replied, referring to Luke's preferred form. "He's probably using smaller animals to stay low and birds. I don't know how we lost him though. I mean, we found you guys mid-air. It's not making much sense to me."  
"Well, another way would be if he led those things up there then turned around, taking the same trail for some time before dropping off. If his scent got tangled up with Chloe's, he must have sensed her too. He could have come back this way."

"Yeah, but that would mean he headed back south into states."  
"There must be something going on with him."  
"Well, Cap, when we lost you back in the desert, your scent disappeared pretty quickly. It was why we couldn't track you. Could it be because you were injured?"  
"It was the reason I couldn't phase, so maybe. I mean, it's much harder to catch a scent in human form after awhile. We had been in human form for almost two weeks before I was taken, and Luke hasn't been in preferred form in a long time."

"Well, we still haven't been in preferred form. He might be stopping here and there, phasing to try and get a hold of us."  
"Okay, well, we'll start taking turns. Like you guys did when I was missing. Hopefully, he can get in touch with one of us."  
"Okay, sounds like a plan."

"I'll take first shift. You guys need the rest much more than I do."  
"You sure, Cap?" CR obsevered her intently.  
"I'm positive."

Aubrey and Chloe chose a room on the second floor to crash in for the night. As Aubrey readied the bed, Chloe looked around and out the window as snow drizzled around the house. She then looked at her best friend.

"Bree, I-I'm really sorry for leaving you in Washington," she whispered. "I mean, I wanted to tell you where I was really going, but my father made me swear not to say it at all. He said that everyone that needed to know had been notified, and I was so worried about you that-"  
Aubrey turned to her now, placing her hand's on the redhead's shoulders. "Hey, Chlo, no worries. He did send the briefing to me, but I neglected it. It was my fault, and I'm just fine. It was how it had to be for your safety and mine."  
"Yeah, but now they're after you too."  
"That has nothing to do with you, Chlo. They know our company. They know Beca, and they know that we're against them. If anything, I should be apologizing for not helping you to begin with. Had I read the document, I would have gone with you. It doesn't matter now though. We're together."  
"Yeah, the captain really does take care of you guys though, doesn't she?"  
"Yeah, she does. Like I told you, she would die for us as we would for her."  
"I've never seen you so-comfortable with someone that wasn't me." She giggled.

"Are you jealous, Beale?"

"Oh, no, no, no, no. It's just-new."

"Look, aside from you, Beca is my best friend in a different sort of way. I trust her. I know that if she had to choose between her life and mine, she wouldn't hesitate to throw herself in front of the bullet. She's smart. She fills in the blanks that are left in my logic, and we understand each other. We lost a lot very young. When my father passed away right before that last tour, she was there for me. She isn't good at it. She's sarcastic and not in touch with her feelings, but she sat there. She listened. I was broken up because the last thing he told me was how much I had betrayed him and let him down. She was there. We work together. We're like two halves of the same marine I guess."

"Well, I'm really glad she took care of you. I'm glad you guys came back for me."

"I told you we always would. _I _always would."

"Yeah, you did."

"Now let's get some rest. We have some long days ahead, and I haven't slept in like three, so..."

"Jeez, Bree, why!"

"We didn't wanna lose your trail."

Aubrey slid into bed as Chloe turned out the light before the redhead laid down beside her. After a few minutes, the blonde's breathing evened out, assuring Chloe she was asleep. The redhead however was wide awake. She tossed and turned awhile, trying to get comfortable and find some rest, but her mind was racing. This newly developed ADHD was surely getting the best of her, and she continued to think over the events of the day. She was an animal now. She had a gift that she found both enticing and terrifying. She never would have guessed that her friends were animals despite how special and different they had been in high school. She never questioned them, and they never mentioned it. What was more unnerving was the fact that she never in her lifetime saw herself becoming one of them. She had been curious the first time she felt Aubrey's overheated body, but she didn't think anything of it really. She was too excited about actually making friends after being home-schooled all of her life. Then, when she had to leave them, it broke her heart, and their differences were long forgotten. When Aubrey visited after basic training, she didn't pay much attention to the feeling. She was just grateful to see her best friend again. Never had it hindered Aubrey as a person, so she shook it off. Now though, she couldn't help but reminisce on the first encounters with the shifters. She was one of them now, but the best part about it? It meant they never had to leave her again.

After another half hour of tossing and turning, Chloe slid out of bed once more and quietly exited the room. She walked down the elegant wooden staircase into the dark kitchen. Jesse and Benji were sleeping on the couch, hefty snores floating through the room. She giggled quietly, wondering what animals they turned into because Jesse surely sounded like a bear. Benji's snores were few and far between but powerfully loud when they occurred, such a large sound coming from such a scrawny man. She looked away from the boys and out the back window where the dark trees could be made out against the navy blue sky. She saw a figure sitting on the steps, and she squinted her eyes. The figure was small, sitting hunched over on the porch looking up at the sky. When it turned its head slightly, Chloe caught a glimpse of a sparkling navy blue. It was the captain. She took a deep breath, looking around to make sure everyone else had retired before she approached the door, sliding it open and stepping out onto the porch. Beca didn't look at her, her eyes trained on the forest head.

"What's got you out of bed, Beale?" the captain asked.

Chloe froze in front of the door. "How did you know it was me?"

"Your smell, remember?"

"Oh, right. Uh, what do I smell like?"

"Wet dog and Georgia peaches." The captain chuckled, and Chloe shoved her shoulder before sitting down beside her. "Hey, I don't mind it. I probably just smell like wet dog."

"Actually, it was more of a firewood and pine tree smell."

"Really? Huh, well we're not able to smell ourselves, so."

"What are you doing awake? You have to be exhausted."

"We're taking shifts as lookout. I was actually about to phase, see if Luke contacted us. Would you like to take a walk with me, Clifford?"  
She giggled. "Is that like my marine name now? Like Alpha, Eagle, Bravo?"  
"Uh, sure, let's go with that. Come on."

With that, Beca stood and stripped down, tossing her clothes near the door. Chloe did the same hesitantly then joined Beca on the snow-covered ground. Within seconds, Beca phased, and Chloe followed, two very large wolves now beneath the moonlight. From above, emerald green eyes gazed down at the sight, a smile forming beneath it. Aubrey considered phasing, but she thought better of it. Eight years ago, she would be running Beca off, setting boundaries and not letting anyone near her, especially the captain. She knew Beca now though, and she knew she could be trusted with everything held dear to the blonde, including her best friend. She had seen the look in those navy blue eyes when they first caught sight of Chloe. She knew what it was. She had looked at Beca the same the day they found her after he being hostage a year. It had formed into a hard-lined friendship afterwards, leaving behind the idea of something more, but Aubrey felt that Beca was better as her platonic other half. They were still soul mates in her eyes, but not in the romantic ways. She loved Beca, but she was not in love with her. Her absence had created the illusion, but she had quickly been able to debunk it as a strong love for her uncharacteristic best friend. She would now allow her two best friends a nice private talk because if anyone could prepare Chloe for the life she had just begun, and protect her if anything were to happen to Aubrey, it was their legendary demon captain.

"Can you hear me?" Beca asked as they headed into the trees, and the red wolf jumped slightly at the sound, causing Beca to chuckle.

"Uh, yeah," she replied shakily. "Wow, you can do that?"  
"Yeah, only in preferred form though. It's how we communicate securely. I wanna try something tomorrow, see if you and I have our own line since we're both wolves."  
"So, we're the only wolves in the company?"  
"Yup. I mean, the others can turn to wolves, but they won't last too long since it isn't their preferred form, their default animal."

"What are their default animals?"

Beca chuckled. "Well, Aubrey is that lioness of course. Ashley's the snow leopard. Cynthia Rose is a scary ass black panther." Chloe eyed her.

"That seems a bit racist."  
"That's what I said! She seems to like it though, so it's cool. Lily is a tiger. Uh, Jesse is a bear, black bear usually."  
"I knew it!"  
"The snoring, right?"  
The redhead giggled again. "Yeah."  
"Yeah, it's fitting. Let's see. Uh, Stacie is a red fox. Amy-" she burst into a fit of laughter.  
"What?" Chloe asked, eying her curiously.

"Amy's a kangaroo."  
Chloe laughed just as hard now. "Oh-my-gosh, that makes so much sense. She has all of these Tasmanian horror stories."  
"Yeah, those stories got us through some real tough days in the desert."

_"...So he through a jellyfish at his crotch, and that's how capital punishment was created in Australia."  
Aubrey eyed her Aussie counterpart with a weird look as the larger blonde smiled expectantly for her reaction. _

_"What-DUFUCK-did you just tell me?" Aubrey at last bellowed._

_Beca was in hysterics now, Stacie halting her massage on the captain's shoulders as the shorter brunette hunched over holding her sides._

_"She-said-coral reefer!" the captain breathed between chuckles._

_"It's a real thing," Amy said nonchalantly. "They smoke it out of electric eel skins. It shocks your face and makes you numb. Causes strokes though."_

_"That made no sense to me," Aubrey sighed. "So you're saying he smoked coral-'reefer', so they threw a jellyfish at him, and now that constitutes as capital punishment?"  
"Right!" the blonde exclaimed, pointing a finger out in victory. "It's like America's electric chair, except its focused on a man's junk and a woman's lady bits. You should see the shakes they go into. It looks like the world's greatest orgasm."  
"ooh," Stacie sung, her finger running up Beca's neck._

_"Yeah, no, way too kinky," Beca deadpanned. "No one's throwing a jellyfish at me. That's like death by chocolate."  
Stacie pouted. "You're no fun."  
"You weren't saying that last-"  
"Okay, stop it!" Aubrey squealed. _

_"Simmer down, Lieutenant," Amy said, throwing her hands up in mock surrender. "I was just trying to ease the tension in this tent."  
"Job well done, I'd say," Beca chuckled. "You definitely deserve a medal for stress relief. I'll make sure to notify the general."  
"That's all I ask. Still can't believe they let my sexy fat ass in here."  
Beca was doubled over once more, choking on spit as she cackled while Aubrey just flashed Amy an unimpressed look, causing the Aussie to shrug. _

_"Tough crowd," she mumbled._

Chloe giggled heartily as she watched the scene with Beca inside her head. She then noticed the large lopsided grin on the brown wolf's face, and she matched it.

"I still can't believe we can communicate like this," she sighed.

"Yeah, but feel special," Beca replied. "No one else can see my memories."  
"I guess the wolf _is_ cooler than the snow leopard."  
"And don't you forget it."  
Another giggle, and the sound sent shivers down Beca's spine. It was the most beautiful melody she had ever heard. She grinned again, slyly licking the red wolf's snout playfully in stride.

"What about the others?" Chloe urged on, trying to calm her heart rate from the feeling of the brunette's tongue on her fur.

Beca let out another snort and chuckle. "Well, Denise is a humongous, scary-Komodo Dragon."  
"Isn't that like the world's biggest lizard?"

"Yeah, but she's that times like ten." Chloe laughed again for nth time. "Benji, he's our medic. He studied medicine during basic training, and with an IQ like that, becoming knowledgeable enough to be a doctor was easy. He's a gorilla though. Jessica's a cheetah, and last but not least, Luke is a Lion."

"Wow. That is so crazy."  
They fell into a comfortable silence for a moment, surveying their surroundings as they trotted through the bare trees.  
"So," the captain sighed. "Do you have any-questions about all this?"  
"Well, I can turn into any animal, right?"  
"Yup. It takes some practice to get them all down. Stacie and Amy still haven't mastered the birds, which is why we were so surprised about you doing it. If they don't get it down, they'll shift right back within a few minutes usually. The larger the animal, the harder it is to maintain aside from preferred form. I can phase into anything, and I can hold it as long as I want. I don't know why I'm different, but I am.

"Hence, the captain position."

"I guess so. The others can form into anything, but it drains their energy fast. Like Aubrey and Ashley. They were wolves when we split up looking for you, but they were so exhausted that they couldn't hold it much longer, so they turned human. They can stay in their preferred form though, hence them taking the lion and leopard phases on the way back."  
"That's crazy, and our bodies are always this hot?"  
Beca chuckled with a glance at the redhead, and Chloe, realizing the innuendo, nudged the brunette's nose with a laugh. "Yup, always. When we phase, it heats up more so, but it goes back down once the shift is complete. In the beginning, you'll need to focus harder to phase. It's usually triggered by heightened emotions."  
"Yeah, it was fear that turned me earlier today. I focused really hard on a bird when I saw one out the window, so I could get out of the house."  
"Yeah, but as you mature, it'll be easier to phase. You'll be able to control it and do it yourself. Right now, if your emotions get out of control, you'll probably phase whether you want to or not."  
"How-when did you start to phase?"  
Beca tensed a moment, taking in a sharp breath. She decided though that Chloe needed the information now. She was the captain, and now that Chloe was part of her responsibility, she had to take it.

"Well," the brunette sighed. "I was thirteen when my parents were killed. Some kid was really pissed off about the grade he got in my dad's college English class, and he shot them both. When I saw them in their caskets, I got really angry and hurt. I took off into the woods, and that's when I phased. I didn't phase back much over the course of a year. I just kept running through the forests. I taught myself to hunt and fish, and I was fine. I was comfortable, and I loved the rush. When I finally went back to Barden, Luke found me and brought me into the marines."  
"So you're from Barden?"  
"Yeah, but like I said, I dropped school when I was thirteen."  
"I moved there my freshman year. How old are you now?"  
"I'm twenty-five now."  
"I'm twenty-two, but I skipped through a few grades. I was home-schooled up until we moved to Barden then we moved into the White House, and I was stuck inside again."  
"Yeah, I get it. I was trapped in a dungeon for a year back in the desert. I couldn't phase because of my injuries, but when I healed I-"

Before Beca could continue, she heard a twig snap from her left. She turned in that direction but saw nothing. It was then that she took a whiff of the air, and the smell that entered her nostrils alarmed her.

"Come on," she said. "We have to get back. Now."  
The two wolves raced back to the house as the smell became thicker. They reached the house just in time to make out what looked like a dozen men coming down the beach, a shimmer of silver visible.

"Demons," she hissed.

She phased back into a human and rushed into the house, whistling loud. Benji and Jesse jumped from the couch, standing quickly. Doors opened upstairs as the rest of the company flew down to meet their captain.

"There's an army coming down the beach," she informed them.

"What do we do?" Aubrey asked.

"I'm not sure if we should take them or get out of here."  
"How far?" Jesse asked.

"Maybe two hundred yards, but I think there was one in the woods. That's where I first caught the scent."  
"They may have us surrounded."

"Well, let's battle then, " Amy suggested.

Suddenly the window in the den was blown out, causing them to jump back.

"We don't have a choice," Beca snarled, her body already steaming. "Phase."

Just as the company shifted, both the back and front doors were destroyed as demons flowed in, many more than just a dozen. The battle then commenced, Beca bounding towards the back door and tearing the head off of the first enemy in sight. They were everywhere, swarming the group. Denise and Amy had both taken the shape of wolves, much more agile than their preferred forms.

"We have to get out of here!" Beca yelled to those who could hear her. "There are far too many!"

"Beca, if we leave them, they'll know what we are!" Aubrey screeched.

"We might not have a choice!"

The fight continued, demons and animals alike tossed around the house, shattering everything in their vicinity. Beca was flanked by three demons, one jolting forward with a large machete in hand. The blow was intercepted as Chloe lunged, tearing the limb from its owner's shoulder. Beca clamped her jaws around another's torso, biting down and crushing it in two. Aubrey was pinned down by three of them, and Jesse's large paws gripped one of the trio, tossing it away. It was then that a gunshot went off. Then another. Beca turned just in time to see Amy's human form hit the ground.

"Shit!" she growled.

Tearing away from the current demon she was engaged with, she hurdled over Benji and another demon to the large Aussie, jaws clamping lightly around her arm just enough to toss her up onto her back.

"We have to go!" she hollared.

Amy weakly gripped the wolf's hair on her neck as Beca fought through hordes of demons towards an exit. Lily reared up as one bit down on Amy's ankle, eliciting a yelp, and slammed her paws down on the demon. The crazed look in the tigress's hazel eyes terrified her victim. She chomped down on his throat, but as she did, another demon gripped her around the waist. The bone-breaking crunch that echoed through the room sent chills down her company's spine. The tigress growled in pain, but seconds later, it was Lily's naked form that lay on the wood. Jesse rushed through, squeezing the life from Lily's attacker as his neck crumbled in the officer's paw before the offender turned to ash. He cradled Lily in his arms now, rushing after his captain. Aubrey escaped two demons, Ashley turning and tearing the throat out of one of them. They struggled through to the back door, Beca at last able to break through the many demons and rushing off into the woods. Her company was right beside her save for Cynthia Rose and Chloe. Aubrey and Ashley were racing beside her.

"Ashley, take Amy!" the captain cried. "I have to go back! Keep running until you get into the mountains and find a place where Benji can check Lily and Amy. DO NOT STOP OR TURN BACK UNTIL YOUR SAFE!"

The snow leopard nodded, and the wolf bucked once, sending Amy into the air before landing on the leopard's back, blood dripping down onto the sleek white coat. Without slowing down, Beca ran around the front of them and back towards the house, Aubrey following. They could see the wolf and the panther still inside, dancing in a circle with a horde of demons. The panther lashed out at one, and as she did, another stuck her in the side with a blade. She let out a growl, lunging at the offender while Chloe backed her. The demons, rushed forward, blades drawn, stabbing at any part of the animals they could find. A pool of blood formed around them. Beca didn't waste a moment. She tore into the closest demon, jaws clamped on its neck, beheading it with a vicious jerk of her head. Aubrey took another, and now the demons didn't know what to concentrate on. There was a blood-thirsty look in the captain's eyes now. Chloe turned to try and escape, but another demon jammed a large dagger into her chest, the howl she led out a blood-curdling sound. Beca turned now, eyes on the man with dagger in the redhead's body. He saw Beca, and his eyes widened. The wolf lunged at him, tearing off limb after limb until she bit into his neck, turning him to ash. Chloe fell to the ground in pain, but she didn't phase back into a human, which was a good sign. Beca nudged her firmly, and she carefully stood again. The captain and first lieutenant focused on the ones blocking the door. Cynthia Rose launched her entire body into them, knocking them back. Chloe hurdled over them towards the exit. Another two demons stepped in her way, but before they could thrust at her with their weapons, the brown wolf and lioness had their jaws around their throats. The sound of breaking glass resonated, and they broke into ashes followed by a high-pitched whining sound. Cynthia Rose quickly executed three more, the tally now down to six. Aubrey looked at Beca.

"We're here," Beca sighed nonchalantly as if they were just staying for dinner. "Might as well finish it off."

With that, Beca, Aubrey and Cynthia Rose attacked, Chloe watching warily as she tried to keep her balance, keep her form. Each leader was flanked by two, and one was able to jump onto Beca's back, sinking a dagger into her shoulder. The wolf bucked and jumped, but she could not shank the demon. Chloe attempted to help her, but her vision was blurry. She stumbled back. Beca reared up, and the moment the demon retracted the blade, she jumped back, landing on top of him. The blade had struck her once more, but it was enough to break the demon's grip. The second one flew at her, but she dodged him, whipping her head around as he became parallel with her and sinking razor sharp teeth into the back of his neck. She bit down, her teeth clashing together as his neck broke, and he disintegrated. She then turned as the first attacker clambered to his feet. Before he could straighten up, she had him in her clutches, teeth clamped on his jugular. She ripped her head away, tearing a chunk from his throat. There was no blood. It just looked like she had taken a bite out of a stone statue. Her eyes widened a moment, but she regained composure and lunged again. He stuck the knife out, but she knocked it down with a paw before snapping his neck with a hard bite. She then saw another demon running for Chloe, who was swaying slightly in the door. Pouncing forward, she caught the enemy, jerking him back. Aubrey had now dismembered her attackers, and she bit down on the demon's waist, her and Beca playing a quick game of tug-o-war before the demon's body separated and turned to ash. Cynthia Rose handled the last one before returning to her captain.

"Come on," Beca urged. "There's probably more coming with all those death indicators."

She rushed forwards toward the woods, but just as they entered the trees, there was a sharp howl. Beca turned back as the red wolf collapsed and toppled off of the porch. She hurried back, Aubrey beside her.

"Why isn't she phasing back?" Aubrey asked worriedly.

"I don't know," Beca replied as calmly as possible, nudging the red wolf who now had half-lidded eyes. She could feel how tense Chloe was. She nuzzled her nose into red fur softly. "Okay, Chloe, I know you're hurt, but I need you to relax for me, okay? I need you to phase back so I can carry you, please. Come on."  
She nuzzled her again, licking her snout lightly then moving down to the wound in the center of the wolf's chest. Beca knew how close to the heart it could have come with the length of the weapon that got her, but she tried to be positive. As she licked the wound gingerly, the redhead began to blur. Slowly but surely, she turned human once more. The gash in her ivory chest was gaping, and blood was spilling out. Beca phased quickly, running back into the house to get a shirt and her belt. She rushed back, placing the shirt over the wound and tightening the belt around Chloe's chest.

"Okay, Chlo, I'm gonna put you on my back," she explained. "I need you to lean into me when I phase, so that we can keep as much pressure as possible on the wound, okay?"

Suddenly, the redhead gave a lazy smile. "What?" Beca questioned.

"You-called me-Chlo." she replied in a whisper.

Beca smirked. "I guess I did. Now, come on, Clifford."

Once Chloe was securely on the large wolf's back, she led her lieutenants off into the woods. She could still smell the heavy demon scent, and she was sure more were coming. They had to get away as quickly as possible. She followed the company's scent up a steep snow-covered slope, Chloe instinctively gripping her fur tighter and causing her to smile. They reached a landing at last, and Beca sniffed the air. She trotted along a path, now able to make out several pairs of paw prints that she followed until she came to the mouth of a cave. She entered it, the scent of her comrades thick as can be. At the back of the place, she made out their figures, a fire burning for light as Benji hovered over Amy, tweezers poised from the medical bag he kept slung around his torso at all times. It was easy in his gorilla form to do so. Lily was already sitting in the corner, her abdomen bandaged where Beca was sure all of her ribs were shattered. She was sweating, but she was silent, eyes stilled on the fire. She knew Benji would have had to probably re-break a few segments to set them right, but the doctor worked as fast as he ran, and she was glad to see one patient was already stabilized. She approached them unable to see Amy's eyes, as Benji tried to dislodge the bullet.

"Jesus, Doc!" the Aussie suddenly hissed. "Maybe you could just make me like Ironman and put a magnet in my chest. That would be super awesome."

Beca chuckled as she came into the light of the fire, and the company looked up to find her lopsided grin on her furry face. They smiled brightly.

"Hey, Cap, you guys good?" Jesse asked, but his face fell when he saw Chloe's pale body resting atop the captain. He jumped up quickly to remove her, laying her beside the fire. Aubrey and Cynthia Rose shifted, their wounds already fading against their skin. Aubrey kneeled beside Chloe now.

"She was stabbed in the chest," the blonde informed Benji.

"Okay, let me get some alcohol and gauze on Amy here, and I'll take a look," he said, quickly dabbing a cotton ball with alcohol and pressing it along Amy's wounds that he just finished cauterizing with a spoon.

"Jesus H. Christ, Applebaum!" Amy squealed.

"So you can take a bullet, but not some alcohol, Wilson?" Benji asked playfully.

"Yeah, yeah, shut it."

Beca had not yet phased back. She rested her head lightly on Chloe's belly, and the redhead automatically began stroking her snout. Aubrey smiled, ruffling the wolf's fur at the top of her head. Beca licked her nose playfully before settling her head back down.

When Amy was all wrapped up, Benji turned to Chloe and removed the makeshift tourniquet Beca had created. He eyed the wound. It was closing up fast, but he had to make sure that there was no internal bleeding or any major organs scathed. He reached into his bag, pulling a small phone-like device with what looked like a long antennae atop it. He had used it on Amy as well, and he slid a fresh rubber cover onto the antennae before slowly sliding it inside of Chloe. She tensed at the feeling.

"It's a camera," Benji informed her. "Now, usually, we aren't subject to internal bleeding, but I created this device just to be completely sure. There's a first time for everything, you know. We all learned that years ago."  
"Tell me about it," Aubrey huffed, giving Beca a pointed look and eliciting a whine from the captain that said something like "How was it my fault?" to which Aubrey just smiled.

When Benji was sure that Chloe was fine, he dampened another cotton ball with alcohol and dabbed it across the cut. Chloe cringed but made no noise. Benji smirked.

"At least she doesn't scream," the doctor chimed, and Amy snorted.

"Shut it, Applebaum, before you take a kangaroo kick to the face."

"Wouldn't be the first time," Benji retorted, eyes still on Chloe.

"That was an accident! Jeez, let it go already! You walked right in front of me!"

"Why the hell were you practicing kicks right next to the door! What if it hadn't been me? What if the major would have walked into the tent? Then what?"  
"Then I'd tell him he was losing his mind seeing 'roos in the desert."

Benji and the others laughed at Amy's nonchalant answer, remembering the day Benji trudged into the mess hall tent with a black eye, explaining Amy practicing her kangaroo kicks in the medical tent. The Aussie always had some antic up her sleeve.

Once Chloe was fixed up, Beca licked her face lightly, eliciting a giggle from the redhead before Benji gave her some medicine to get some rest. Jesse was already slumped against the wall of the cave snoring, and the only ones awake now were Benji, Aubrey and Beca. Cynthia Rose had huddled up between Stacie and Denise, the three girls cuddling into each other as they often did. No one knew or understood why but didn't question. They were all close, some closer, but they weren't friends. They were a family, and that had been solidified recently.

As Benji put out the fire and settled down near Jesse, Beca retreated out onto the ledge just outside of the cave, overlooking the vast valley covered in snow. Aubrey took phase and nestled into the wolf's side, very uncharacteristic of the lioness, but after the day's events, reputations seemed to mean very little. Beca confirmed that by curling into a C-shape, her head resting on Aubrey's paw.

"What are you thinking about?" she asked softly.

"I don't know," Aubrey breathed. "Everything. What else have I been wrong about in the past decade?"  
"We seem to be okay. I know I gave you a hard time, Bree, but it's all in good fun. What does it matter how she became a shifter?"  
"Beca, don't you see? What if there's something wrong about it all? What if there's a connection we're not getting? I mean, General Stafford was brainwashed. What if Evan had been brainwashed or something, or what if there _was_ another shifter in her family? This could actually be really big. It could mean a million things. Sure, the one she inherited the gift from may be dead, but what if that's why they need Chloe. She wasn't supposed to keep the bloodline going. We need to understand. We might not be able to fight against them or take them down without knowing."  
Beca now thought a moment, realizing that Aubrey was completely right. How Chloe had been given the gift could actually be really important, something that could make them or break them now. Beca locked gaze with her lieutenant and best friend a moment before speaking.

"Okay," she sighed. "Soon as we can get down to the base, we'll look into it."  
"We're going back to base?" Aubrey asked, surprised.

"Yeah, Luke's headed back south by our calculations, and we have to regroup. We have a whole new battle ahead of us."

Aubrey just nodded, exhaustion taking over her as she nuzzled her face into the wolf's side, sleeping over taking her quickly. Navy blue eyes kept watch over the mountain, hoping and praying to at some point hear a thick British accent in her head...


	6. She Wolf

**_A/N: Thanks everyone for the reviews! So everything's slowing down a bit, but hey. I'm building a plot line. I dont wanna cheat you guys with a random and senseless story for the sake of coupling because our OTP deserves so much more than that. This story is my baby, and I take the utmost care of it. Ive got some great suggestions in, so Im working overtime on this because Im really excited how its going. if you have any suggestions, please share. Thanks to those who did, namely CaskettRizzles. Thank this user when things go big lol. Anyway here's our next round. We get a new face and some new scenery. _**

_Aubrey and Jesse stealthily phased from two serpents to their human form after assuring that they were shielded by tall, sandy hills. The outhouse, which was more like a public restroom building in its size, was concealed well in the large ditch, and the sky was still dark for extra coverage. The two guards seemed to be wary in their positions. Aubrey and Jesse transformed directly behind them, reaching up and grabbing their heads before snapping their necks effortlessly. Several other serpents appeared at their feet, phasing quickly into birds as Aubrey opened the door to the outhouse. On the floor of the wooden structure was a gaping opening, a ramp leading down to the bottom of it that was sizable enough to drive a dune buggy through. Jesse and Aubrey tossed the bodies of the guards down into it, hearing the soft "thumps" as they rolled down to the ground, before phasing into birds as their company had done. They swooped down into the hole, following the tunnel north beneath the city of Karbala. The palace there had been built by their new dictator. He had insisted he rule from his home city, and his servants did not deny him. Aubrey chuckled devilishly to herself at his ignorance and arrogance, a horrible mix for anyone with power. He had been too cocky bringing their captain to the palace. They would rescue her and take him down. He had been plotting a nuclear war with America and Russia alike for years now, and they had first been sent into the desert four years prior when Japan had dropped the first nuclear bomb in Israel, by accident they rumored, but no one cared. The middle east was now trained on Japan in return, Japan taking Russia's place as a top enemy. It was no secret that Iraq and Israel had a bone to pick with each other, but Japan was a much bigger threat to both. The Iraqi missiles had not been ready yet when that first bomb dropped, but their was widespread news that said they would be very soon. The company had no time to waste now._

_The tunnel stretched at least seven miles before an opening came into Aubrey's view. There was another ramp that led up into a wooden structure, and Aubrey went in first, the others halting. When she was sure it was clear, she phased and signaled the others. They perched on a narrow wooden desk while Aubrey took her preferred form. Beca was already waiting for her._

_"You guys okay?" the captain asked._

_"Yeah, all good," Aubrey replied. "What does it look like down there?"_

_"I'm still in the dungeon, but I hear voices outside echoing, like a hall. I can sense the man that's been questioning me, so they might be taking me out of here."_

_"Are you going to phase?"_

_"Yeah, but I don't want us all spread out, so I need you to make it down to the dungeon before you stay in preferred form. I want us together."_

_"Okay, we can do that."_

_"There's a door that leads into a kitchen directly across from the shed. Next to that is a door to the cellar. Inside the cellar, there will be another door that leads into the room they had me tied up in. It's on the same floor I'm on right now. You should be able to track my scent from there. Just watch for guards, and you should be okay for one of you to open up that door. It's still pretty dark outside, right?"_

_"Yeah, it's oh-three hundred."_

_"Okay, just be quick about it, and stay together. There are probably some weapons in the cellar if need be, but I'm hoping you won't need them."_

_"Got it, Cap. Just sit tight."_

_"Can't do much else." _

_With a small chuckle, Aubrey phased once more. Her company glided to the ground and did the same until they stood in a circle nude but excited to finally get their captain back. _

_"We're going through the cellar," she hissed. "Cynthia Rose, I need you to get that door open. I'll keep watch from the roof of this place. The rest of you phase and be ready to fly through that door. I'll peck the rooftop when I know the coast is clear, CR. Once everyone is through, you follow them, and I'll be right behind you guys."_

_The others nodded quickly as Aubrey sprouted wings once more. Jesse slyly cracked the window open wide enough for the crow to fit through, and she perched atop the roof surveying. Several guards peppered the perimeter. They spoke in hushed tones, dressed in robes of various colors, assault rifles cradled in their arms. Only two were actually on the move, one coming from the left and one coming from the right around the majestic structure. As they passed in front of her, she checked to make sure the other guards were still in their original positions. They were. The two moving guards soon disappeared from view. Aubrey quickly pecked the top of the roof, and the shed door opened..._

* * *

"I'm so hungry, I could eat a whole kangaroo."

"Isn't that cannibalism?"

"No, that's starved."

"We had a huge meal two nights ago! That usually suffices several days!"

"Yeah, and I ran it off right after. They shot some off of me too, remember?"

A deep sigh. "We can go fishing here in a bit. Wake up the bear, so he can go with us."

Chloe's eyes fluttered open to the sound of the weird conversation between her best friend and the Aussie, and she chuckled to herself. It was the first time since her parents had passed away that she didn't wake up in a sweat, despite her heightened body temperature, after a horrific nightmare. It was always the same; the image of flames and smoke engulfing the prestigious White House, the screams of all the occupants trying to escape as she was whisked away, the carnage that racked the grounds. She had been in shock for six months, which explained why she hadn't phased until now. She had been numb to the entire event until those men arrived at the Atlantic City safehouse, and it was then that the realization of the entire situation struck fear into her heart. Now, as she awoke, she was really warm and cozy. The heat, she was getting used to, but she had never been this cozy before. She was laying on a big fluffy pillow, and she buried her face in it. Wait, pillow? There was no pillow. They had fallen asleep in a cave. She looked up now to find a slumbering brown wolf beneath her, its body protectively curled around her. She grinned wide and settled back down into the comfort of its fur. Aubrey watched her with fascination. She had finally been able to get Beca to sleep by asking her to go keep Chloe comfortable, and the large wolf had created quite a little bed for the redhead, using a paw to pull her in. Aubrey had kept watch until Jesse woke up then Stacie had taken her turn followed by the others. They had already lost two days as the sun was beginning to set once again on the mountain, but none of them minded so long as the camp was secured. Beca needed the rest, and they were glad that she could get it even in her preferred form.

Amy shook Jesse violently until the men pounced up, his hands enclosing around Amy's neck. She squeaked in surprise, and he instantly released her when he saw who it was. She then slugged him in the arm.

"Ouch!" he hissed. "Dammit, Amy!"

"You could have killed me!" she squealed, rubbing her neck as he massaged his arm.

"Well, don't startle me like that! Instincts, remember! Like you swatting me away in Atlanta!"

"You flew right at my face!"

"And you put your hands on me!"

"Touche. Come on. You, Aubrey and I are going to get dinner."

"What are we getting?"

"Fish if the river isn't frozen," Aubrey replied. "And who better to fish than a bear? If not, we'll hunt and bring back enough for the others."

Jesse glanced around the cave, his other counterparts still sleeping save for Cynthia Rose, who was now stretching out from her place between Denise and Stacie. His eyes fell upon his captain and Chloe cuddled up. He donned his trademark goofy grin. Aubrey followed his gaze and flashed a bemused smile. He wiggled his eyebrows at her playfully.

"The captain must be pretty comfy to actually sleep," he noted aloud. "How long has she been out anyway?"

"Like twenty-four hours, but she needs it. I don't think she's slept since we left for Tahiti."

"Yeah, you're right. I'm glad she's resting though. She can be so stubborn."

"Tell me about it. CR, will you keep watch? We're going down to hunt."

"Yeah, will one of you be in default?" the pink-haired second lieutenant asked with a yawn.

"Yeah, Jesse will be. I'll probably take on the wolf for a bit, but if he has to change, I'll take it."

"Good, so we can stay in the loop. Be very careful."

"We will be. You guys too."

With that, Amy and Aubrey phased into wolves, and Jesse transformed into a towering grizzly bear. They made their way down the mountain as the sun settled behind them. Cynthia Rose stood from her spot, walking towards the mouth of the cave as she began to phase and settled on the ledge as a panther. The wind was refreshing, icy against her overheated fur. She yawned wide, bearing razor sharp teeth before resting her head on her paws. She surveyed the valley below then the base of the mountain, making sure that there was no immediate threat around them. She caught no scent of any demons or other, so she relaxed a bit. A few minutes later, a fox rested beside her on the ledge, big lime green eyes smiling at her. She nudged the fox with her paw playfully before the latter did the same. Chloe stared up at the ceiling, unwilling to move from her spot just yet. She was enjoying the feeling of the wolf's side rising and falling beneath her head. She somehow took comfort in the booming snores of Benji mixed with the low growls and breaths of Beca. It was something like a really slow, building beat, the wolf providing the chords while the doctor was the bass. Unable to control herself, she began to sing softly to herself.

**_A shot in the dark_**

**_A past lost in space_**

**_And where do I start?_**

**_The past and the chase_**

**_You hunted me down_**

**_Like a wolf, a predator_**

**_I felt like a deer in your lights_**

**_You loved me and I froze in time_**

**_Hungry for that flesh of mine_**

**_But I can't compete with the she-wolf, who has brought me to my knees_**

**_What do you see in those yellow eyes?_**

**_'Cause I'm falling to pieces_**

**_I'm falling to pieces_**

**_I'm falling to pieces_**

**_I'm falling to pieces_**

**_Falling to pieces..._**

The melody wafted into Beca's ears, and she subconsciously began to wag her tail. Chloe giggled lightly, her hand running along the fur of the wolf's neck with tender touches until she reached the back of her ear, scratching gently there. The wagging intensified now, batting against the ground below as Chloe continued on, her voice becoming stronger.

**_Did she lie in wait?_**

**_Was I bait to pull you in?_**

**_The thrill of the kill_**

**_You feel is a sin_**

**_I lay with the wolves_**

**_Alone, it seems,_**

**_I thought I was part of you_**

**_You loved me and I froze in time_**

**_Hungry for that flesh of mine_**

**_But I can't compete with the she-wolf, who has brought me to my knees_**

**_What do you see in those yellow eyes?_**

**_'Cause I'm falling to pieces_**

**_I'm falling to pieces_**

**_I'm falling to pieces_**

**_I'm falling to pieces_**

**_Falling to pieces..._**

When Chloe finished out the song, a low whine exited the wolf's snout, and Chloe grinned. Beca, eyes still closed, leaned forward and licked the redhead playfully across the face. Chloe found cover as she burrowed into her fur, but her tongue just found her neck. Chloe shivered at the contact, a fire much hotter than her skin igniting in her lower abdomen. It intensified as the beast continued its playful attack, and she gripped the fur in her hand tighter. Her stomach was doing a series of somersaults now, and her breath caught in her throat. Without meaning to, she blurred until she was replaced by the copper wolf. She remained curled up in Beca's side however. Beca, opening her eyes, noticed the fox and black panther resting on the ledge a few feet away. She decided to try her experiment. She focused solely on the red wolf beside her, a low growl escaping her mouth.

"Hey," she hissed, and Chloe looked up at her then glanced at Cynthia Rose and Stacie, reading the brunette's mind. "Cynthia?" No answer. "Stacie?" No answer.

"I guess you're whole private line works," Chloe giggled, the words only in her mind.

"Yeah, I guess so. You sing beautifully by the way. I'll give you that."

"I could tell by the tail wagging."

"Oh, yeah, dammit. So much for the poker face. Uh," She glanced around her a moment. "Where's Aubrey?"

"She took Jesse and Amy out to get some food. We've apparently been sleeping for a whole day, and Amy was hungry."

Beca snorted. "What else is new?"

Chloe pawed her snout. softly. "Oh, be nice."

"I'm just saying. How did you sleep?"

"I slept great after some big puppy took up the job as my personal doggy bed."

"Hey, I'm not a puppy. Watch it there, Beale."

"You know, you don't scare me. I'm just as much a demon as you now, but bigger."

"You're still a rookie."

"Really? I never would've been able to tell when we met yesterday."

"Beginner's luck."

Suddenly, she began a licking assault on the smaller wolf, relentlessly pawing her stomach and finding that the big bad captain was still ticklish even as a large canine.

"St-stop!" Beca squeaked through her laughter. "Stop it, Clifford!" She tried to be stern but failed. "Chloe, c-cut it out!"

"Admit it!" Chloe demanded. "Say I'm good."

"G-good-at-what!"

"Say I'm a good fighter!"

"I-I had to-" She couldn't say much more. "O-Okay, okay! You're a good fighter!"

Chloe immediately dropped her paws to the ground but continued to lick the captain's snout a few seconds longer. She was huffing labored breaths by then.

"Chill out there, Moon Moon," Beca chuckled as Chloe panted. "You're gonna hyperventilate."

"What can I say? You take my breath away."

Beca thanked the Heaven's above that her fur covered up the flaming blush creeping into her cheeks.

"Kissing ass does NOT move yourself up in the ranks any faster," she retorted.

"So how did Aubrey get up so fast?" Chloe smirked.

"I'll make sure to let her know you asked."

The brown wolf stood up, but the moment she did, Chloe tackled her to the ground. They rolled around in the dirt a bit before a shadow was cast above them in the moonlight. They looked up quickly. Benji stood there quirking an eyebrow.

"Wolves," he sighed before moving over to phase.

* * *

It was well into the night when Aubrey returned with her two comrades to the cave. There were three elk draped over the bear's shoulders and neck, and Amy was also carrying a bunch of fish in her nifty pouch. Beca phased into human form and helped Jesse and Benji cut up the meat while Aubrey and Stacie readied the fire. Lily was walking around, feeling great after a full night's sleep, and her ribs seemed to be healed nicely. Denise, Jessica and Ashley went to fetch water from a spring just a bit further up the mountain. The snow had begun again, and they were grateful that they never cooled down in that moment because who knew when they would be able to acquire clothes. As the meat cooked over the fire, everyone sat together in their preferred form around it.

"So what are we doing next?" Amy asked slowly.

"Going back to base," Beca returned. "Luke's probably back in the states right now, and I'm hoping that he goes looking for us. How he missed our scent is beyond me, but I think he followed Chloe's back down to New York. He still hasn't tried to call one of us, but we know that he's still moving."

"Yeah, I think it's best we regroup on base and consider our next options," CR agreed.

The silence fell once again, everyone lost in their own thoughts until Amy spoke once more, a thoughtful look blanketing her face.

"Hey guys?" Everyone grunted a response. "Call me crazy here, but-do you think, that if we were to, like, I don't know, be in our preferred forms and have sex with another animal of the same kind, a real animal of course, would we-make babies?"

The silence lasted all of thirty more seconds before Beca and Jesse burst into hysterical laughter, both bear and wolf rolling around on the ground with paws to their stomachs. Chloe giggled along with them while Aubrey rolled her eyes. Stacie had a look of sheer curiosity and determination in her own green eyes, and Cynthia Rose snickered, shaking her head slowly. Jessica, Denise and Ashley chuckled at both Amy's question and their captain so out of breath. There were labored exhales leaving the wolf and the bear as well now, and it was quite a sight. Amy hung her head, glaring at them.

"It was a serious question," she spat.

"No, Amy, I really don't know," Aubrey replied sarcastically. "Why don't you try it?"

"Why don't one of these domestic animals try it? I'm not having sex in a zoo. That's so unladylike."

"So is bestiality!"

"Yeah, but is it really bestiality when you're a beast too?"

Beca only laughed harder at this, jumping up and running around in a circle as if she were chasing her own tail. Now, Aubrey couldn't even hold her facade. She burst into giggles alongside the redhead, the gorilla booming with what they assumed was a laugh. When Beca at last slowed and trotted back into the circle, Chloe nuzzled her neck softly. Beca in turn licked her snout.

"I wonder if Chloe and Beca could make babies," Amy pondered in a whisper.

"They're still both girls, Amy!" Aubrey retorted.

"Oh, yeah. I couldn't tell with our captain always being so balls-y."

"I-don't resent that," Beca huffed, a paw over her eyes.

"What if one of us animals and another one of us different animals-"

"Amy!" Aubrey screeched. "They would just give birth to a shifter like our parents!"

"Jesus, Lieutenant, I'm only pitching a philosophical question here."

"It's not philosophical, it's plain idiotic."

"No, actually, Bree, I really do wonder if Jesse could make babies with another bear," Beca interjected.

"Why me?" Jesse asked.

"Cuz you seem like the one to try it."

"Oh, yeah? Take a look at the vixen over here. She's got that look in her eyes. The same one she had when Amy was talking about jellyfish crotch shockers."

Stacie snorted a laugh. "It doesn't sound like the worst idea."

"Oh dear Lord, help us all," Aubrey breathed.

"Don't get your tail in a bunch, Simba, I was only joking," the fox returned.

At last, dinner was done, and the carnivores dug in hungrily, slurping down fish and meat as if their life depended on it. Beca threw up a fish sliver with her paw, intending to catch it in her jaws, but when she closed her eyes, it never fell. She opened them to find that the fish was gone. She looked over at a very guilty looking red wolf beside her, and she growled at her.

"Don't try to show off," Chloe simply smirked, gulping down Beca's fish.

"You're trouble, Beale," Beca huffed, pulling her food into her with a paw and ducking her head to eat. "I'm watching you."

"Not well enough."

When the food was gone, the company felt at one hundred percent. Benji pawed the dirt to throw it onto the fire, effectively putting it out. They stretched out and turned to their captain, awaiting further orders. Beca stood at the center of her company, eying each and every one of them. They all seemed eager for instruction, and that's all she needed to know. The sun was beginning its descent once more soon. It was time to move.

"I need a wolf pack," she began. "We'll travel across Canada. It's more forest, and we'll descend into Nevada. Once we get over this range, you can break into preferred form, so you can conserve energy. We'll fly into base once we hit the Idaho border in Alberta. We'll leave in our groups. Chloe will come with Aubrey and I. Cynthia Rose and Benji will bring up the rear. Good?"

Everyone gave their approval before shifting into their wolf forms. Beca turned around, trotting onto the ledge to take a whiff of the air around them. There was no offending smell. She surveyed the forest below, looking for any disturbance. When there was none, she led, Aubrey, Chloe and Jesse down the path, breaking into a sprint on the steep slope. They were a blur rushing down the hill, and when they were in full sprint, it would take a very keen eye to see them without believing the seer was crazy. Beca broke into the forest, flying through the trees with Chloe and Aubrey flanking her and Jesse weaving behind them. Soon, three more blurs flew down the hill and into the forest, keeping a safe distance between them and Beca's pack. It was the same tactic they used in the desert with their humvees. If something went wrong up ahead, the group behind had time to react accordingly. Amy and Stacie left the cave with Lily, and once they hit the ground at the base of the mountain, Cynthia Rose and Benji closed it out. The snow was boring down viciously, and only they could see through the fog and flakes. Beca touched so lightly on the frozen surfaces of the tiny lakes that they didn't have time to think of cracking. It was the most elegant sight for the team around her. They kept pace, breaking into a vast valley that would bring them across the mountain range. It would be a break from any towns for awhile. Beca only had them take wolf form because of the elevation of the cave. If someone did look up and see anything, at least it would be a wolf. She wasn't too worried however. As stated before, it was very hard for a human eye to pick up the movement of a shifter, especially in open forest where they could pick up top speed.

As they cleared the valley, most of the company seamlessly phased into their preferred animals sans Denise and Amy. In their time, they had actually perfected the wolf phase, and it lasted them a pretty impressive amount of time. They had taken it on due to their preferred forms having so much less speed. Of course, they were shifters regardless, so the Komodo dragon and kangaroo would still leave any other of their kind in the dust, but it was much easier to run then to hop or waddle. Benji and Jesse on the other hand moved just as fast as their captain in their preferred forms, and it was quite an enticing sight to the entire company. Their large bodies seemed to just glide through the air.

They travelled through the night, coming to halt in a clearing right over the Quebec-Ontario border. They rested a few hours, drinking water from a pond Benji slammed the frozen surface in on. Denise and Amy took their preferred forms in that time, laying down for a quick snooze. They had not picked up any rogue scents other than normal human ones, and they were grateful.

"They probably haven't come this far west," Aubrey suggested, licking her paws.

"I'm sure they haven't, and they probably lost our scent somewhere along that mountain if more came that night."

"You think that normal human scents could mask ours?" Ashley asked.

"No, because if that were the case, Alaina wouldn't have reeked of Chloe." The aforementioned party jerked her head in Beca's direction. "No offense."

"Yeah, that's true. I just-I wonder if the carbon monoxide really masked our scent."

Beca pondered it a moment then something struck her. "I think that it doesn't mask our scent so much as it blocks their senses. If it blocked our scent then I wouldn't have been able to find you guys when I went after you. I had Jesse's scent though. I think it affects them more so than anything."

"Well, that could come in handy," Amy agreed.

"Yeah, it could."

"Where do you think that lair is?" Aubrey questioned as she hunkered down beside Beca and Chloe. "Do you think it's an American-owned island?"

"It could be, but there are quite a few of those. I mean, who would let the guy inhabit their place anyway?"

"You know, I thought about it, and-doesn't Cuba like, hate us?" Chloe asked.

"Still?" Stacie asked, recalling her days of fifth grade history.

"Well, yeah because you still get in trouble with Cuban Cigars," Cynthia Rose piped up, and everyone's eyes fell on her. "A little altercation at a casino once."

The others shrugged it off as Beca considered the possibility. "I mean it's close enough to rule from I guess," she sighed. "They know all about dictatorship there."

"Yeah, and he does have Stafford running things over here," Aubrey agreed. "I mean, it isn't like they slaughtered the entire military, just the heads that wouldn't conform. They have to have what little army is left, right?"

"Yeah, and I'm sure they brainwashed a lot more people to take place of a draft. I mean where else could those demon things have come from?"

"I wonder what surprises we get when we get back to base."

Noon arrived, and the snow clouds blotted out the sun even more so. The company was okay with that. They headed off once more, closing phenomenal distances in little to no time at all. They saw a lot of wildlife on the way including a few bears which Beca pointed out to Jesse with playful eyes, and he just barreled into her, nearly knocking her down. They reached Alberta by nightfall on their fifth day in Canada, and they took the chance to hunt. Stalking prey had always been another rich thrill that Beca thoroughly enjoyed. She actually liked tearing apart the raw meat and devouring it, a taste she had tried in human form but could not keep down. Somehow, it left her content in her preferred form, and she never gave it a second thought.

They came to a clearing full of moose. They spread out around the edges of the clearing with max stealth, each calling one with eyes locked on their prey. Benji took wolf form as well now. When they all took position, Beca counted off in her head. She hit "one", and every animal bounded in, Benji, Amy and Denise following suit a second late since they could not hear their captain. Either way, their prey had no chance. The excess moose were given exit as the rest of the herd was shredded by the company. It was a quick meal, and when they finished up, they washed the blood from their fur in the nearest pond, Benji once again phasing and shattering the surface as Amy and Denise took up the kangaroo and lizard phase. Beca watched Chloe was she licked her paws carefully.

"How was the first taste of raw meat?" she asked on their private communication line.

"It was-satisfying," Chloe replied. "Ugh! Oh my God, I'm an animal now!"

Beca snorted. "You've _been _an animal, Red."

"But I-I-" She gasped, and her voice dropped into a whisper. "I just got my red wings."

Beca stared at her a moment then fell into hysterics, rolling around on the ground and causing the others to look at her with sheer concern. She pawed the ground in an attempt to calm herself.

"You okay, Cap?" Cynthia Rose questioned.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Beca replied when she was calm enough to do so. "I just realized that Red here just got her 'Red Wings'."

Aubrey just about threw up her meal at that as Amy and Cynthia Rose snorted their own laughter. Chloe began coughing up water hearing it aloud to the group. Benji gave a light chuckle as he beat on his chest, and Jesse slapped a paw over his knee.

"You guys are unbelievable,"Aubrey sighed.

"We love you too, Posen," Beca shot back, nuzzling the lioness beside her.

"Yeah, yeah, rest up a bit, so we can get moving."

The flight from Alberta into Nevada had the weather changing significantly from snow in Canada and rain in Idaho to light clouds over the Nevada desert. Beca could not help but notice how graceful Chloe was in the shape of a falcon. It was hard to believe she was new to all of it. She glided through the sky looking completely comfortable, like she had been the animal all of her life. Even when the others in the company had to phase as their current one gave out, Chloe remained the same. Beca began to wonder if maybe Chloe was like her in more ways than just being a wolf as well. It was enthralling, and Beca knew they would find out in time. If it was in fact, the snarky captain may just start believing in the soul mates Jesse derived from his movies.

* * *

The company expected to see a lot of things re-entering their home country, but they never could have guessed what actually welcomed them. The first big shock was Las Vegas, the once great strip in ruins and shambles, suffocating beneath dark smoke. The road had a gaping chasm up the middle, and bodies littered ground. Men, women and children lay there, and it was a heart-breaking sight even to Marines who were sure they had seen enough destruction to be unfazed. The smell of demons engulfed their senses, and they knew that the city had been overrun. There was a wildfire spreading over the mountains, bare trees being swallowed up by a raging inferno. There weren't any visible signs of firefighters, but that shouldn't come as much of a surprise. Everyone was in hiding. Blasts echoed around them, shaking the ground beneath, and with sharp eyes, they were able to make out even more chaos on the California border just west of them. In other parts of Las Vegas, bodies still lay everywhere, and the living were looting burning houses and mercilessly slaughtering one another. Havoc was being wreaked across the once prestigious tourist attraction, and they only wondered what else was going on all over the country. Of course, they had seen some of it New York, the same crazed people and ascending body count. It was mortifying. As they came into Area 51 boundaries, the scene that greeted them their took their breath away. The base that had sat upon the grounds was in smoldering ruin, the high white walls eaten away. They landed upon the red earth, ash and flames creating a trail up to the could only hope the underground camp had not been touched. Beca took form into the wolf now, and the others followed, eyes surveying the area carefully. The smell of the demons was very faint now, and they hoped all had vacated the premises. As they approached the location of the large wooden trap door leading into the depths of the camp, they found that it had been covered with dirt. They prayed that it was an ally who had done so. Jesse and Beca made work of it, pawing away the layer quickly. When the door became fully visible, Jesse pried it open. They gazed down into the silent hole. Beca gave her company one last look before descending the stairs. The others waited a moment before following. They stopped abruptly however the moment she hit the ground because she was overtaken by a massive figure, tackling her to the ground. Beca pawed up at the attacker, but she froze when her eyes met startling grey ones. They weren't silver like that of a demon. They were a cloudy color, and she donned her lopsided grin as a tongue lapped at her nose. Aubrey was just about to pounce and aide Beca when she saw the scene. She let out a victorious growl.

"Luke!" Beca shouted in her head.

The lion jumped aside to let the wolf up, and she quickly phased as did he until a tall blonde man stood before her with his chiseled abs and award-winning white grin.

"Beca!" he greeted in that familiar British accent as he took her into a crushing hug. When he released her, she slugged him in the chest, and he doubled over in pain. "Ow! What was that for?"

"Why the hell didn't you try to contact us!" she growled as her team phased and dropped to the ground.

"I tried, but I-I don't know what happened. I never got an answer."

"When did you get here?"

"Just yesterday. I traveled down from Canada to New York because I caught a shifter scent, but I lost it in New Jersey somewhere. I decided to head back to Washington to see what I could find, and I was able to get ahold of the network there. They said they brought Aubrey here, so I came straight away."

"You didn't sense us?"

"Listen to me, Becs. I was-captured by those-things before I escaped about a month or so ago. Some shit went wrong at the place they were holding me, and hell broke loose. I was able to get away. They ran some pretty crazy shit on me, and my senses were all out of whack. I can't phase long, and I couldn't communicate with you guys much less hold your scent. I couldn't recognize that shifter scent for anything, but I just knew it was a shifter."

"Oh, that was probably Chloe."

"Chloe? Wait, Chloe Beale?"

Chloe now stepped forward with a grin. "Hey, Luke."

"Chloe!" He enveloped her in a hug as well, as always completely disregarding all nudity. "And the rest of you are here as well!"

The hugs and greetings went around until everyone had their share, and Beca stood waiting. Luke at last turned back to the captain. He sighed, knowing they had a lot to talk about, so he led them back to one of the conference rooms. He dished out clothing and bottled water for everyone before they settled at the table.

"What the hell happened here?" Beca asked her colonel as she sat between Chloe and Aubrey, Luke opposite her at the other end.

"Those things came," he huffed. "Yesterday night. It's a war zone all over the country, Becs, and Japan is ready to drop bombs. I guessed those things followed me, and I could sense them on the trail, so I sent everyone out of here, had one of them cover the door. I have no idea how they didn't catch my scent, but I think it's pretty faint by now as long as I've been out of preferred form. That was the first time since getting into the states about a week ago."

"Well, they blew up the chemical waste tank up there near the gate, and we learned that gases can fuck up their senses. Carbon monoxide saved our asses back in New York."

"You don't say. That's some good info."

"So what happened then? With your-abduction?"

"Well, it was the day of the White House bombing. I was down at the pentagon. Some guys came in wearing black suits, and they said they were secret service. They said I was needed at the White House right away. I went with them. Once we were in the car, one of the bastards stabbed me in the neck, and it knocked me out. Everytime I came to, they did it again. I didn't fully wake up until I was in this room hooked up to a bunch of machines. The guy in there with me kept saying something about honor to my country, that I needed to protect the new president. Everytime I asked a question, they shocked the hell out of me. I saw General Stafford there, and that idiot Bumper was in and out. He kept giving me this cocky look, and I knew something was off. When the shocks didn't work and I kept asking questions, they threw me in a cell with a few other guys. They were talking about the White House attack and that the President was dead. They said something about MK-Ultra being brought back. These guys were Navy SEALS before they were captured."

"MK-Ultra? that's the brain wash thing used decades ago."  
"Yeah, so I guess that's what it was. They did that to me for the entire five months or so, but I kept fighting it. Then everything went haywire. I couldn't phase at first because the treatment had me screwed up, but all of the prisoners revolted. I was able to get away. We were on an island or something."

"Island? Do you know which one?"

"Well, when I got away, I was able to get in the water. I was able to phase a little at a time, and I had to swim a lot, but when I hit land again, I was in Florida, so I figure it was somewhere close to there."

"That keeps the Cuba theory alive," Cynthia Rose pointed out, the others nodding agreement. "You didn't smell Chloe there?"

"No, I couldn't smell anything, and my vision was really bad. I just kept heading north. I found some clothes in a bungalow down there and kept moving. I wanted to get back to DC and see what the hell was going on. I rested in Jacksonville until I had enough strength back to phase into a hawk. I still had to stop a lot, but I made it to DC. Everything was in ruins, and I had a run in with those things there, so I took off, but they were hot on my trail. I led them up into Canada, and I tried to throw them off. I was in Toronto for awhile, but I had to move again. I called down to the Pentagon while there, but it had been blown to shit too. Then those things caught up to me. I led them up into the mountains then cut back towards New York when I caught that scent."

"Yeah, we came up that way and ended up in Nova Scotia where we found Chloe."

"Yeah, but my senses weren't too strong, so the scent was always pretty weak. When I lost it, I went back to DC, staying human as much as possible to fade my scent."

"So if being human breaks the scent, maybe it was Aubrey and Luke's scent they had been after all along. Maybe that was why they didn't take Lily and I. We hadn't phased in a long time, and they thought they smelled it, but they couldn't be sure, so they left us in Barden. They kept on us now though because we kept shifting."

"Yeah, that would definitely tie it up," Aubrey agreed.

"I just hope they won't trail us here."

"Well, that gas would still be in the air for miles with that tank up there. It should throw them off and mask us."

"Do you think that brain wash stuff is what's making those things that way?" Amy inquired thoughtfully.

"All I can say is that they were filing out of that place left and right," Luke huffed. "I'd say so. Stafford is just like them now. How else could it happen?"

"So you actually saw Stafford after?"

"Yeah, during the frenzy. He was trying to detain people, but he had the same silver eyes and ice coming off of his skin."

The group contemplated all of the information a moment, silence falling upon them.

"So what are we gonna do?" Jesse at last sighed heavily, breaking the silence and drumming his fingertips against the table.

Beca awaited Luke's answer, but when she looked up, all eyes, including the colonel's, were on her. She shouldn't be surprised. It had always been this way despite his higher military ranking. He had always looked to her for guidance because she was the true alpha of their pack. It had always been so. She was smarter, faster, stronger, sharper and all other things. She had the most power and privilege with her specialties, and Luke had embraced that from day one. She was the youngest of the group, but that didn't matter. No one understood why or how she had been more powerful, but with everything else happening, it seemed like a good thing to possibly look into. This reminded Beca of Chloe's dilemma with how she got the shifter gene, and suddenly, nothing in the last decade or so made much sense, and she needed it too.

"Well," she sighed, standing. "Before we can do anything, we have some studying to do."


	7. The Skeletons of the First Family

**_A/N: So how was that last chapter? Are we good? Well, I threw in some fluff around here somewhere. We get some real Bechloe action, but most importantly, we unlock some secrets about our favorite company and heir newfound redheaded member as well. I filled up the chapter much quicker than intended but we have some insight into our great captain's mind and some good old Aubrey. Let's see where it takes us!_**

* * *

_Getting into the cellar and through the door leading into the next room was easy. What Aubrey didn't expect was to fly straight into a conference room full of members of the dictator's closest circle. She flitted up onto a window sill, her team joining her around the room. They looked down, surveying the men a moment. The man at the front, sitting in a chair slight raised on the platform was rather young with flowing brown beard and narrow brown eyes. He had a turban wrapped around his head, and he was in a simple white shirt that fit loosely on this form, patching pants as well. There was a man standing behind him speaking to their counterparts in their own language, and Aubrey only caught bits and pieces about traitors and Japan. Aubrey looked for an exit, but there was no way they could open the door without someone noticing, and it didn't seem like anyone was willing to enter and exit during the meeting. They would have to wait it out, but that meant many different things, and the biggest concern made its presence known rather quickly. After just thirty minutes, she felt her body began to numb. She looked around. Sure enough, her team had begun to blur too. Their forms were giving out. They had been out of preferred form far too long. It was now or never. There were at least two dozen men in the room. Too bad. Aubrey glided down onto the floor, but she landed on four paws. The man speaking at the head of the table froze as he watched Aubrey, terror in his eyes. Suddenly, several more massive animals appeared around them. _

_"Attack!" Aubrey screamed into her head, hoping Beca heard her. _

_With that, the company threw themselves into tearing apart the congregation one by one. One of the men was able to yell into the radio, and a response was almost instantaneous. The towering doors at the end of the room burst open, guards flooding in. It was now that Aubrey realized the man in the chair was cowering on the were now trying to smuggle him out of the room, three men flanking him, throwing a silk robe over his frame. No, it couldn't be, but it had to be. It was the dictator himself, the one who fancied himself a god in this country, tearing about homes and people alike and leaving destruction in his wake. She tried to run for him, but two soldiers threw her back, advancing on her with assault rifles poised. She sprung into the air as they began shooting, able to flip over them, landing on her feet behind her attackers. She slashed across one man's neck with a heavy paw. She latched on to the second's neck with her jaw as he turned, tearing his head off. When she whirled around, the dictator was at the door. There was a horde of men engaged with her company between her and the target, and she was pulled into yet another scuffle after only a few steps. The dictator disappeared into the hall. She had to get to him before they hid him. It was vital now. _

_Aubrey tore threw three more men, Jesse tackling another, reading his lieutenant and knowing what she was after. She hurdled over multiple engagements gracefully, claws catching various enemies along the way, and bounded into the hall. The dictator was scurrying down it now towards the entrance, his men trailing fast behind him. They heard her steps, turning around to shoot at her with their pistols. She dodged each bullet skillfully, zig-zagging over the white marble floor and skidding here and there. Just as the dictator and his party reached the end of the hall, he jumped back, falling to the ground. Before him stood a majestic chocolate brown wolf bearing its dagger-like teeth..._

* * *

Ashley, Jessica and Luke prepared another grand meal for the company, and it was not a minute too late when the table was set in the conference room. Most were slouching in their chairs, exhaustion threatening to spill over and engulf them, knocking them unconscious. They hadn't realized how tired they had become until they had sat down, and now it was starting to really take its toll. No one spoke due to the fear of their usual cranky attitudes at this state of exhaustion, the captain more so. She paced the room quietly, thinking over everything that had gone on and trying to figure out what to do about the war that had just been brought onto their home turf for the first time since the civil war. The fact was that they may be the only ones left with loyalty to the old country, and it was terrifying. They were special, skilled, strong, but even Beca knew that the odds of winning a war against hordes upon hordes of demons were slim to none. Judging by the damage done by the small battalion in Nova Scotia, there was a lot of power in their numbers. Her team could not stay phased forever either, and it was only in their forms that they had been able to overpower even a few. Killing them in human forms would take far too much time. They weren't even large enough to be considered a company anymore, and it pained her to see the defeat slowly creeping into the faces of her comrades. Even Jesse's goofy grin was rare these days, and Aubrey was more on edge than she had ever been. That was saying a lot.

When dinner was at last served, they scarfed down their meals in silence, the tension hanging over them like a canopy, threatening to crash down at any moment. Their movements were slow, lazy. Beca kept her head down, the pang of failure evident in her eyes had anyone been able to see them. She could not stand to let her soldiers down. No, she could not stand to let her family down, not again.

In the year after her parents passed, Beca had vowed to herself to never let anyone close to her. She would never open her heart to anyone for fear of them being torn from her arms once more. The pain was too great, and had it not been for the discovery of her ability, it would have surely been the death of her. In the nights leading up to the funeral, the teen had contemplated the consequences of simply ending it, taking a blade to her wrists or gun to her head and letting go. The only consequence she could come up with was never seeing her parents again. They weren't too religious, but they had read enough of God's word to her for her to know that self-harm was deeply frowned upon. It was a really big deal. She would be cast away from her parents forever, but what sort of life would she have lived had she never returned to Barden and met Luke?

Oh, Luke. It was him who had cast her into a situation where the worst thing you could do was love another, and ironically, it was inevitable. From the start of basic training, her and Amy and had been inseparable. When they began deployment, her and Jesse were close as siblings despite being polar opposites. Then, when she thought it couldn't get any worse, she found a palpable love for the stern, wound up blonde that had been positioned as her right hand. Aubrey had not liked her at all either with her alternative appearance. She had chided the tattoos, the earrings she wore before having to take them out for training, the sarcasm and heavy eyeliner. Aubrey had hated her with a passion, and somehow along the way with all of their time spent together butting heads and disagreeing, the two had formed an unbreakable bond. Beca would never hesitate to jump in front of death for her, and neither would she. It was unbelievable how it had happened. Now she loved every single member of the group so deeply that it pained her, terrified the living hell out of her, and there was nothing she could do to stop it. In a business where any one of them could be killed in an instant, they had taken the risk whether willingly or not to love one another more than anything in the world. Each one of them was a victim of it, but it had been the captain who had vowed to herself never to fall to such a sickness. Yet, here she was, worried more about them than herself, willing to give them her final breath in order for them to be at peace and live. She was completely and positively sure that it could never be worse than that, but wouldn't that be too easy? Of course, so life pulled the wool over her eyes and hit her with the biggest curveball the tiny captain had ever faced.

Chloe Beale. Yes, Chloe Abigail Beale, the late president's daughter, the world's biggest target, and the company's newest member. The one with the highest chance of tearing Beca to pieces, both literally and figuratively, had now pulled the captain into a greatly compromised position. Chloe had come into her life just days before, and already, Beca's top priority was to keep her safe at all costs for reasons far beyond demons and politics. It was the tale told in her bright blue eyes. It was the depth of them, the ability to get lost in them with just one look. It was her positivity, her bubbly and vibrant disposition, her melodic voice, her disregard for any personal space even when naked, and she had caused Beca to lose value in distance as well. Beca stayed as closely as possible, initiating contact. Only Aubrey had been able to bring out that side of the captain, and it had taken her years of struggle to do so. Now Aubrey was her best friend for all intents and purposes. Yet, Chloe had crashed into Beca's little bubble, into her tortured soul and dysfunctional heart without a moment's notice, without a care in the world. The worst part? Beca for the life of her could not bring herself to mind one bit. It was almost like a magnetic pull. Opposites attract, and they were the definition of that very statement. When they touched one another, both were oblivious to the fluttering of two stomachs, the racing of two hearts, the overloads of two brains. It was a beautiful disaster, and Beca knew it. Chloe would be the death of her one way or another, but she could not bring herself to worry about it. Love. What the hell was love? What was so important about an emotion that could get you so high that when it dropped you, you would crash to the ground and be broken beyond repair? Why did people fight in the name of it, long for it, chase after it for a lifetime? What was so amazing about it? She wasn't sure, but what she was sure of? Chloe Abigail Beale was going to demonstrate it for her whether she liked it or not.

Beca sat in front of the large computer screen, banging her head against the desk. Aubrey jerked her up by the collar of her shirt firmly.

"Stop throwing a tantrum," the blonde demanded.

"We've been at this for six hours, Bree, and nothing!" Beca whined. "They don't even have the president's obituary for God's sakes! It's fucked up!"

"Ugh, well, we have to try something else."  
"No shit." Aubrey smacked her upside the head. "Ow! Okay, sorry."

"Let's try, hmmm. Wait a minute. Chloe!" Beca cringed at the sudden yell, but the redhead appeared in the room within seconds. "Sorry, I weren't sure if you were awake yet or not."

After a hearty meal, the company had settled down to rest while Aubrey and Beca researched the Beale family and Jesse and Cynthia Rose tried to find any spark in activity over in Cuba that had yet to be explained. Chloe sat beside Beca, eying the computer screen with a bright smile on her face that turned Beca's insides to mush without knowledge.

"What are we doing?" she asked.

"Trying to find out why you're such a hot topic," Beca replied.

"What was your mother's full name? Maiden name?" Aubrey asked.

"Um," The redhead thought a moment. "Clarissa Rene Willis, I think."

"You think?" Beca repeated, quirking an eyebrow at the redhead, who just shrugged.

Beca returned her eyes to the screen and typed the full name into the search bar then hit the enter key quickly, her eyes full of hope. When nothing came up, she huffed in exasperation once more.

"Nothing," she growled. "They've wiped them off the face of the planet!"

Silence fell for a moment as the three considered another option. They were desperate at this point. They had been at it all night, and they had come up completely empty handed in that time. It were as if President Beale and his wife had never existed. That was probably what Galbraith had needed to complete the brainwash and keep it strong. If someone happened to read about the man, it may have triggered a memory and broken the spell. Beca thought through all information she could readily remember, attempting to dig up something, anything that may have been of any relevance. Aubrey did the same, sifting through years in the White House with Chloe and the military until she ended up in the past few days. Suddenly, the blonde brightened significantly, and she shook Beca's shoulder, who had slowly been leaning further forward, her eyelids heavy with exhaustion. She jerked up at Aubrey's touch, but the blonde disregarded it.

"Hey, try Abigail Willis," she suggested.

Beca did so, expecting to find nothing, but the page popped up with over a million hits, none of the first page seeming to be any help whatsoever. Beca found that just as disappointing, and she slumped over slightly once more, rubbing her eyes.

"You got any way to narrow it down?" the brunette asked with a yawn. "It seems Abigail Willis is a common name 'round these parts." She drawled the final part playfully.

"Parts?" Chloe asked, considering that a moment. "Wait, add 'Athens, GA' to that."

Beca once again obeyed, and she was relieved to see the first hit being an obituary, only the name was Abigail Willis-Daughtry. When she opened it however and the page loaded, the trio inhaled a sharp breath, and it became hitched in their throats. Their eyes bulged, and Aubrey stared in awe at Chloe, whose eyes in turn were frozen on the picture blown up on the screen.

"Th-that's my-my mom," Chloe breathed shakily.

"H-how can that be?" Aubrey asked. "I-no."

'No, there has to be a mistake. She talked about this girl. She knew this girl, but she wasn't _this _girl. I-I-she-no."

"Wait," Beca directed, scanning the page until she found a sentence that had her heart racing. She began to read aloud. "'...Abigail, known as Abby by friends and family, is survived by her sister Clarissa Rene Willis-Beale, brother-in-law Evan Anthony Beale, and her daughter Chloe Daughtry (6 mos.). She is proceeded in death by her mother Leann Elaine Willis, her father Shane Harrison Willis, and her husband Malcolm Daughtry...' What the-"

"What's the entry right below that?" Aubrey asked hurriedly.

Beca scrolled down to find the obituary of Abby's husband Malcolm. It too stated he was survived by his in-laws and his daughter Chloe. Beca looked over at Chloe who was still frozen in shock. Beca could not believe what she was seeing. According to the document before them, everything that Chloe and everyone else had known about the first family was a lie. The perfect family photo portrayed across the world, a brunette and two redheads, had been a portrayal fabricated long ago even with the obituaries and such still circulating. Though the president and his wife had been wiped off the face of the Earth, they had failed to do the same for the Daughtry family. Chloe had been lied to her entire life. She wasn't the president's daughter but his niece. Why would they leave it up though? She turned back to the screen, checking the time stamp on the page, reloading and checking it again several times.

"This-page was only added a few months ago," she breathed.

"What?" Aubrey asked, her face now closer to the screen for inspection. "Why would-someone do this?"

"Well, if you can't beat them, sabotage them, right? If anyone did decide to stand up for the old president, at least they could find this dirt and maybe lose their faith in him."

"But-that would mean someone knows about all of this already."

"Well, they've surprised us many times thus far."

There was a moment's pause, the information registering with the three women at the slowest possible speed. Everything of their pasts was falling apart. If Chloe's life had been a lie, what was to say about the rest of them? Suddenly, nothing made any sense. There were massive cracks in everything they once understood fully. Beca found herself questioning every single thing she had ever been sure of.

"T-type in 'Daughtry Murders', Beca," Aubrey hissed.

"What? Why? I-"

"We have to know what happened! Type it in!"

Beca did so hesitantly, stealing glances at Chloe, who still did not move. Her breathing was shallow while Aubrey's breathing was labored. Fear gripped them all, the silence constricting their chests. Beca had to sift through a few entries before finding a headline that stood out.

**A Slaying in Georgia**

_A gruesome scene found in the Athens, GA home of Malcolm and Abigail Daughtry, both slain, infant daughter found alive and unharmed_

A quiet Athens, Georgia neighborhood was shaken this weekend as a gruesome scene was discovered. Resident Clarissa Beale entered her twin sister's home after not hearing from her for days to find sister and brother-in-law Abigail and Malcolm Daughtry both brutally stabbed to death in their bedroom. Their infant daughter was asleep in the closet of said bedroom. Custody has been handed over to Clarissa and politician and husband Evan Beale in conclusion of...

The trio read the article in silence, hot tears falling down Chloe's face now, but she did not acknowledge them. Aubrey's face was a green shade now, and after a few more seconds, she quickly turned and scurried to the bathroom. Beca shook herself from shock and turned to Chloe slowly. Still, the redhead had not budged. She was still as a statue, lost in a trance.

"Chlo?" Beca whispered softly.

That one word jerked Chloe back, and she collapsed into the captain's arms, her body trembling with waves of sobs. Beca held her tightly, stroking her hair. She had nothing to say. She couldn't think of anything that could soften the pain. She was no good in the emotions department. She had run from her own for over a year, and no one had been there to help her. She had spoken to the trees, and she never expected anything of them. Still, she had not really faced it, and it scared her that she just might have to with all that was coming to light. She just held Chloe silently, pecking the top of her head periodically and continuing to stroke the fiery red curls. It all made sense now, and part of Beca wished it didn't. She regretted ever sticking her nose in it. The redhead's life had completely fallen apart, everything she knew turning out to be a lie in a matter of moments and a few sentences. Her mother had in fact been a shifter, but it wasn't the mother she had known all of her life. It was instead an identical replica.

Beca hoisted Chloe into her arms, carrying her into her bed chamber she had slept in on her first visit, and she laid with Chloe on the bed gently.

"It-it was all fake," the redhead hiccuped through her tears. "Th-they weren't my-my parents-ever! Th-they lied-to me."

"Chlo, they did it to protect you," Beca reasoned softly. "They tried to give you a normal life. How do you tell a kid that story? Or anyone. They raised you, and they wanted you to be happy, not to be burdened with the idea of always wondering about your real parents. I had to. The rest of us did. They tried to save you for that."

"Burden?! Beca, I'm a fuckin' target for a bunch of demons all because they think I'm their daughter!"

"I have a feeling that whether they knew that or not, they would come for you. You're one of us."

"B-but why didn't I phase when they died? Why didn't I phase until _after _Clarissa died."

Beca thought about that a moment, going over what she knew so far about how they had come to be, which wasn't much, but something that seemed to make sense struck her then, and she considered it before saying it aloud.

"I think that since your mother was Clarissa's twin, and they were in the same generation, they had to both pass on before you could phase. Water in the dam, remember? Clarissa was still the dam, but your mother was the other side of the river. The generation had to be wiped out before it could pass on."

Chloe was silent a moment, turning the idea over in her head with tears still spilling down her face. Beca reached up and swiped the pad of her thumb over her cheeks softly. Chloe's eyes were shut, and she knew the redhead was hurting deeply. She wanted to make her feel better, so she did what her mother used to do when she was little, what Chloe had done for her out of sheer urge, what Beca had not done since she was a kid, long before she was thrown into this life.

**_Aren't you something to admire, 'cause your shine is something like a mirror_**

**_And I can't help but notice, you reflect in this heart of mine_**

**_If you ever feel alone and the glare makes me hard to find_**

**_Just know that I'm always parallel on the other side_**

**_'Cause with your hand in my hand and a pocket full of soul_**

**_I can tell you there's no place we couldn't go_**

**_Just put your hand on the glass, I'm here trying to pull you through_**

**_You just gotta be strong_**

**_'Cause I don't wanna lose you now_**

**_I'm looking right at the other half of me_**

**_The vacancy that sat in my heart_**

**_Is a space that now you hold_**

**_Show me how to fight for now_**

**_And I'll tell you, baby, it was easy_**

**_Coming back into you once I figured it out_**

**_You were right here all along_**

**_It's like you're my mirror_**

**_My mirror staring back at me_**

**_I couldn't get any bigger_**

**_With anyone else beside of me_**

**_And now it's clear as this promise_**

**_That we're making two reflections into one_**

**_'Cause it's like you're my mirror_**

**_My mirror staring back at me, staring back at me_**

Chloe perked up at the unexpected sound of such a strong and powerful voice floating through her, making its way into each and every one of her senses, and her body began to numb. She had to concentrate hard to keep from phasing, and she focused on the voice of the legendary captain, a surprise that she would forever cherish because it was beautiful. In fact, that was an understatement.

**_Aren't you something, an original, 'cause it doesn't seem merely assembled_**

**_And I can't help but stare 'cause I see truth somewhere in your eyes_**

**_Ooh I can't ever change without you, you reflect me, I love that about you_**

**_And if I could, I would look at us all the time_**

**_'Cause with your hand in my hand and a pocket full of soul_**

**_I can tell you there's no place we couldn't go_**

**_Just put your hand on the glass, I'm here trying to pull you through_**

**_You just gotta be strong_**

**_'Cause I don't wanna lose you now_**

**_I'm looking right at the other half of me_**

**_The vacancy that sat in my heart_**

**_Is a space that now you hold_**

**_Show me how to fight for now_**

**_And I'll tell you, baby, it was easy_**

**_Coming back into you once I figured it out_**

**_You were right here all along_**

**_It's like you're my mirror_**

**_My mirror staring back at me_**

**_I couldn't get any bigger_**

**_With anyone else beside of me_**

**_And now it's clear as this promise_**

**_That we're making two reflections into one_**

**_'Cause it's like you're my mirror_**

**_My mirror staring back at me, staring back at me_**

**_Yesterday is history_**

**_Tomorrow's a mystery_**

**_I can see you looking back at me_**

**_Keep your eyes on me_**

**_Baby, keep your eyes on me_**

Chloe joined Beca in the final chorus of the song, harmonizing together in such a beautiful way that every ear outside of the chamber had perked up, but no one moved. It was the sweetest song, and their hearts swelled as their captain showed them a remnant of her happier days. Chloe was pulled to the brunette in such a way that took her breath away. It was enchanting. Never had she felt this way about anyone. Of course, with Evan Beale as her public father, she didn't have much of a dating record, but this was everything she had pictured about love and so much more.

That was beautiful," she whispered, eyes wide and shining.

"Yeah, it was," Beca returned, still shocked she had been able to do it.

"You-can sing."

The captain chuckled. "I guess I can. You feel better now?"

Chloe cast her gaze down now, making Beca almost regret she had asked. "Yeah, I-I feel better, but I-it just, it's a lot to take in. Being lied to by those you trusted most."

"Chloe, you just have to understand that they meant well."

"I-I know, but it-it's hard. To f-find out that way?"

"I know, and I'm so very sorry. I didn't mean for you to find out that way. We really just needed to know how you came to be this way, to make sure that it wasn't some crazy story that you were mutated by those demons or something. I don't know, but we needed an explanation, and there's many more to find. Soon, I'll go looking for an explanation for why my powers are the way they are, why we're here or how, why they took Luke, why Aubrey pukes when she's shocked."

Chloe giggled at that. "She got wayyy better since high school."

"Thank God because I can't handle all that. She puked once on the first tour all over a private. Ugh." She brunette shuddered at the memory.

Chloe swatted her shoulder, grinning up at the brunette through her tears. "Be nice."

"Hey, there's that smile I love." Beca realized what she said a second too late, and she tensed against the taller woman, her eyes widening. "I-uh-"

Chloe giggled again. "You're cute when you're nervous."

"I'd rather be cute than nauseous." Another sweet giggle.

"You really love my smile?"

"It's like sunshine." Beca's face was burning now. "Tell anyone I said that, and I'll end you, Beale."

"Sure, like you could take me."

"You wanna wager on that?"

"Beca, I know your weaknesses."

"Oh, really? Prove it."

Chloe suddenly widened the smile into a cheek-splitting grin, and Beca's heart began to pound against her chest. Chloe put a hand over it, the grin spreading impossibly wider.

"Th-that's all you got?" Beca stammered.

"Nope," Chloe returned, her eyes full of mischief.

It took a split second for Beca to process what was happening as Chloe gripped the back of her neck, pulling her down. She could not move however. Then it all went into a blur. Soft lips pressed firmly against hers, and her heart just about barged out of her chest. Her ears rung with the choir of angels, and she could feel the steam rolling off of her body. She had to try and concentrate to prevent shifting, but with Chloe's entire body pressed against hers, it was easier said than done. Her mind was muddled. Chloe's hand tightened around her neck, bringing her even closer, and the brunette's hand settled on her waist, holding onto her for dear life to keep herself there in that form. When they pulled away, their eyes locked.

"I surrender," Beca breathed.

"Give me your heart, and no one gets hurt," Chloe whispered back.

To that, Beca connected their lips once more in a deep and passionate kiss, wrapping her arms around the redhead in a tight embrace. In that moment, Chloe all but forgot about the tragedy that had just struck her heart, and Beca did as well. It was only them in this moment. There was no war, no demons, no brainwashing cult, no demented New Order, no hunters after them. They weren't even two wolves now. It was only Chloe and Beca, two halves of the same heart.

* * *

Beca awoke to the sound of low but hurried chatter. She looked over to find Chloe still sound asleep beside her. She kissed the redhead's forehead before sliding out of bed, stalking out of the bed chamber and into the main room where the rest of her group sat. They all had a look of worry on their faces, the chatter ceasing when she entered, and Beca eyed them, concern etched in her features. She awaited an explanation, but all dropped their gaze.

"What's going on?" Beca asked.

"We,uh, we lost the DC network," Luke explained cautiously. "I made a call out to them to see what they were on, and those things traced the call. We were just about to wake you, but they're on their way. We haven't caught a scent yet, but they're coming."

"Get packed up," Beca immediately responded. "How long have I been out?"

"I little over seventeen hours," Aubrey informed her.

"You guys rested?" Her group nodded. "Have you contacted any of the other networks?"

"The ones in Texas and Denver never responded, and the one in Atlanta was destroyed too. We found out this morning from James, the secret service agent. That's why I called DC. James is moving out of Texas now."

"Okay, we'll figure it out. Pack up a laptop. Lily, wipe the systems. Cynthia, get some food. Luke, are those SUVs still parked down here?"

"Yeah, when everyone left, they spared two."

"Good, load them up, gather any weapons you can find, and let's go."

By the time everyone was settled into the two SUVs and they had ascended the ramp to ground level, the demons' scent had become alarmingly strong. Cynthia Rose took the driver seat of the first car, Stacie in the passenger. Aubrey, Beca and Chloe sat in the back, Jesse behind them in the carriage. Benji was driving the next car, Amy as his passenger with Luke, Jessica and Ashley in the backseat, and Lily and Denise behind them. Luke had offered to drive, but Beca had immediately assigned the doctor, and everyone was pretty sure they knew why. The moment Luke said he had called DC and gave him up, just about every ounce of trust had gone out the window for him. He had been subject to the brainwash, and if it had been even mildly successful, it could mean a whole world of trouble. He was a shifter. Who knew if it would effect him the same way? Beca wouldn't risk it until she was sure her old friend was still the same man he had been back in the military.

"As soon as we leave the area, our scent may show up on the radar," Beca warned them, speaking into the radio. "Keep your eyes peeled, and don't slow down."

Moments later, the SUVs turned onto the path, the sun just disappearing over the horizon. The smell was dense, but as Cynthia Rose pushed forward due Southeast, it eased up a bit. Beca unplugged the radio as Jesse hung over the seat between her and Aubrey, who was looking out the window.

"You think he's been compromised?" he asked.

"I don't know," Beca sighed, "but that was a rookie mistake, and come on. The reason he found us was because he went to DC. They didn't need to trace a call. They just had to ask someone, scare the shit out of them and get the information. It makes no sense. I mean, he seems normal, but who knows how that treatment would effect our kind?"

"I'm all with you, captain. I just needed to know."

"Yeah, so am I," Cynthia Rose agreed. "You know, he was mumbling last night in his sleep, and he kept waking up. He's never done that. If it messed with him enough to ruin his senses, it could have done a lot more damage than he led on."

"But come on. He said he went back down to Atlantic City. For all we know, he's the one that found Alaina. He could've led us up to Canada or found us there and sent that army to the cabin. It all makes so much sense that way."

"So what can we do with him?"

"I don't know, but I'm not too comfortable with him tagging along. It feels like we could be ambushed any minute."

"Well, Amy's watching him. I gave her the tip, and you know her. She isn't one to test things like that. One little thing seems off, and she'll call it."

"Yeah, I believe it. I just don't see how else all of those things came down to the cabin. I mean I guess our scent was strong, but losing Luke up there and catching Chloe? It's like he led them right to us."

"You think they know what he is?"

"I don't know, but I'd really hate to find out."

"Let's just sedate him and dump him," Jesse huffed.

"If only it were that easy, huh?"

"We can't do that!' Aubrey scoffed. "Our Luke is still in there somewhere."

"I'll figure it out," Beca sighed. "For now, we have some unfinished business to attend to in Athens, Georgia."

"Why?" Chloe asked, giving her an incredulous look now.

"I know this is hard for you, Chlo, but someone killed your real parents. All of our parents. And it can't be just coincidence every shifter was killed off."

"But they had to know the gene would be passed if they knew what they were."

"Yeah, but as you can see, everything has changed. They intend on capturing us, and though it seemed that those things didn't know what we were, someone's withholding a few pieces to this big puzzle."

Chloe was quiet then as Cynthia Rose pulled onto the interstate. Beca pulled out one of the laptops she had her team pack up while Stacie read through the map. She plugged in her phone, using its secure internet connection, once again searching the Daughtry couple. There wasn't much to go on, but it was more than they had received searching for the late president and his wife. At one of the entries, Beca nudged Aubrey.

"It says here that Malcolm Daughtry was a physicist," she said. "He was working at the lab in Quanico. Someone was bidding on his research data, but he refused to divulge any information on it. He was then assigned to resume prior research on MK Ultra. Before that, he was...Holy shit."

"What?" Aubrey asked, leaning down to get a better look at the screen. "No way."

"He was part of the First Battalion First Marines in...what?"

"1941? that would make him really old..."

"But the only ones that age that slow are..."

"Shifters. But Abby was the shifter."

"Unless they were both shifters. Maybe that's why Chloe is so much like you. Maybe both of you had two parent shifters."

"My mother was not a shifter, Bree. She wasn't running the fever like my dad was."

"Ugh, there's always something that doesn't fit!"

"Okay, calm down let's focus on this. He was stationed in Guantanamo Bay in 1941 before he was moved to-"

"Guantanamo Bay is in Cuba, right?"

"Right. Okay he was moved to the Timberwolf Battalion in 1942, and they occupied-Japan. That was when the bombs dropped in Nagasaki."

"Is there a list of the soldiers in that Battalion? Maybe we can find a link to Galbraith."

Beca clicked on the link attached to the article, but when she opened it up, her stomach turned as her heart lodged in her throat. A fit of coughs caused Chloe, Aubrey, Stacie and Jesse to turn to her attentively. Aubrey grabbed the laptop out of her lap to allow her to get ahold of herself, but when the blonde glanced at the screen, her breath caught, and her face was once again a slight tinge of green.

"What happened?" Chloe asked, worry in her tone.

Aubrey nearly dropped the laptop as shock set in. Beca calmed herself after Jesse handed her a bottle of water, and she took the laptop back.

"That's my dad," she breathed, pointing to one man in a large picture of soldiers. "He-he was a Marine. He was a fuckin' Marine!"

"M-my mom's in there," Aubrey said barely above a whisper, eyes stilled straight ahead.

"A-and-oh my- that's Abby _and _Malcolm in that picture. Sh-she was a soldier. Her hair's cut like Aubrey's mom, but you can tell it's her."

Jesse suddenly grabbed the laptop and pulled it towards him, and his jaw dropped.

"That's my dad in the-"

"Is there a list of names?" Chloe asked.

Beca pulled the laptop back to her, and scrolled beneath the picture. There was a long list of names, but several names stuck out to her. She began to read them off.

"Eric Posen..."

"My mom's name was Erica," Aubrey hissed.

"Joseph Dean..."

"That's my dad!" Cynthia Rose cut in now.

"Malcolm Daughtry, _Adam _Daughtry, Cal Mitchell, Derek Swanson, Edward Carter..."

"Ashley."

"Freddy Applebaum. Benji's dad."

"The fro says it all," Aubrey chuckled nervously.

"Danny Conrad..."

"What?!" Stacie squealed, grabbing the laptop and turning towards her. She scanned the picture, and the color drained from her face.

"It's your dad, huh?" Beca asked.

"Mom," she breathed. "Danielle."

Beca turned the screen back around, going over the rest of the names.

"Bradley Wilson was a co-op they had when they were deployed to New Zealand."

"That's Amy's dad then," Aubrey filled in.

"Gregory Eldridge. That's Denise's dad. Tommy Richards would be Jessica's. Then they had an ally force in Britain led by Jep Bryant."

"Luke's dad."

"The only one missing-is-Lily."

"Yeah, but they were fighting Japan. They had everyone of Asian descent in camps remember. Her parents must have been sent there if they were already here."

"What-the-fuck?"

"Here! John Paul Galbraith."

"Search that name."

"Already doing it." A few seconds passed. "He worked with Daughtry on the MK Ultra research back then. After Daughtry refused a deal to sell his prior research, which it doesn't say what it was because he probably didn't tell, hence the bribery-"

"Go on!"

"Well, that's when Daughtry was killed."

"You think it was Galbraith?"

"Wait, if he was in this company, wouldn't that mean he's a shifter?"

"Hold on. Let me see here...Fuck! What the hell is up with this double trouble shit?"

"What?"

"John had a twin brother named Dillon, so which one is actually our new president and arch rival is beyond me."

"Okay, so let's tuck that away for a moment. There's still a lot of unanswered questions. Look, Chloe stayed in the bird phase a hell of a lot longer than anyone. She's a wolf just like you, and she was able to get down another phase in like a few days. Therefore, I'm willing to bet she's almost as strong as you are. She overpowered you, Beca. None of us could do that, and I'm not poking fun either. Both of her parents were shifters, so how the hell are you what you are if both of your parents weren't? It's vital to this entire mission that we all have to go dig up our family tree before we can even begin to understand what the hell is happening. That only explains the Daughtry's, not the rest of our parents, but they were all connected! They knew each other! We're already losing. Look around us! Our country is dying, and we're over here with daddy issues!"

"I understand that, Aubrey, I'm just trying to figure out where to start!"

Aubrey took a deep breath, calming herself. "Well, we start where it all started to begin with."

Beca thought a moment before meeting the blonde's eyes. "Barden."

"Exactly."

"Okay, that'll be our next stop after Athens."

Just as they came to the conclusion, Beca's phone beeped. It was a text from Amy.

_"Get on the radio. It's about Luke..."_


	8. Friend or Foe

**_A/N: Let's get in some action and a little more company interaction, shall we? When in doubt, quote Fat Amy, you know? Anyway, this chapter is leading up to a very big twist. That twist, as my two helpers know, was set for this chapter, but this one got really realllllly long, so I had to keep it for next chapter, so that's coming. This chapter has a bit of everything including some Fat Amy and Stacie saying their piece. Here we go!_**

* * *

_"Demon!" the dictator yelled. "Demon!"  
Beca snarled at the man standing before her draped in purple silk. The other man beside him had lost all of the arrogance he used when torturing Beca, and now he stood frozen and horrified. Before anyone could move, the third man in their company was mauled to the ground by the sleek lioness. In a flash, Beca had her tormentor crushed at the midsection between her jaws, a cry of agony escaping his lips until his body went lip in her mouth. She dropped him as the dictator turned and began to run. He stopped when a bear and a cheetah entered the hall. He darted for a side door, but before he could, a huge paw swatted him away, knocking him into the opposite wall._

_"Wh-what do you want?" he asked, fear gripping him. "I-I-"  
The anger that the words inflicted on the captain caused her eyes to flash and flicker even more dangerously before him, her body steaming. She bore down on him step by step as he curled himself up against the wall. He had wet his pants, and tears fell down around his young face. The emotions of the past year were now engulfing the captain, and she was beyond enraged. She phased in an instant, a short, nude woman now standing over the dictator. He looked up, his eyes bulging as her company crowded around her. _

_"Your reign has come to an end, Khalid," she growled. "You will torture these people no more, and you will rot in hell for the carnage you've left behind."  
She gripped him by the front of his robes, pulling him and slamming him against the wall once more. His head bounced against the stone, and he took in a sharp breath. The company watched in awe as Beca began to pummel into the man, the lust for blood overtaking her and turning her into a complete animal out of form. Never had she been so brutal, so gruesome, so vengeful. Her company had never laid witness to such rage from their captain, and it struck both fear and concern in her heart. The blood flowed out of his face as she continued to beat him long after he lost consciousness. She was growling and roaring as she tore into him until at last, bear paws wrapped around her firmly but gently so as not to harm her. She fought against the grip, but it was no use. It was then that she phased, and it took Aubrey biting down on her ear to still her before she ended up injuring Jesse. At last, the wolf submitted, falling onto her paws and breathing heavily. She moved forward slowly, taking in the sight before her, the dictator beaten almost beyond recognition. _

_Amy, Jessica and Stacie returned with robes for their company from the side room, and they dressed after phasing. Then Jesse and Aubrey wrapped up the dictator's body and carried him out. There were news anchors, media outlets, and civilians alike gathered around the palace. A few guards that had been forced into their positions had opened up the gates, shouting joy that "demons had killed the dictator, and they were free at last." The spectators shook off the "demon" noun in that of course, bowing down to the Marine company that ascended the marble stairs into the courtyard. Beca took the body from Jesse, pulling off the sheet, and the two held up the man for all to see. They wiped the blood from his face, and when all got a good enough look to be sure it was in fact the dictator, a roar of applause and prayer erupted all around them. The country had been freed from their bonds, and they could now build their country again in their image. The presidency would be handed over a military commander that had been trying to overthrow the dictator for years. He drove up soon after the Marines emerged, kissing their hands and thanking them. Small children hugged at the legs of the soldiers, and though Beca was covered in blood of the one they had cowered from since their birth, they did not fear her. She did not smile however. Her face was blank, and while everyone else congratulated and thanked her, her company could only worry. They could not see their captain beneath those dead grey-blue eyes, and it scared them viciously, striking fear in the depths of their soul..._

* * *

Cynthia Rose turned into the first abandoned building they saw. Amy had been holding the radio microphone to a slumbering Luke for half an hour now, and he had been mumbling, the team only able to understand bits and pieces of his sleep talking.

_"I'll bring them...They're running...I sense her...traitor...get them...I have them...I can't say..." _It was the final sentence he shouted however as he awoke that caused Beca to intervene and have Cynthia Rose pull over. "NO! THEY'RE MY FRIENDS!"

Beca jumped out of the SUV before it came to a complete stop and stalked to the car behind them as they drove up. She opened the back door, and jerked Luke out.

"Park out back!" she hollered to Cynthia Rose, and the vehicles began moving again.

Beca dragged a flailing Luke by the neck over to the abandoned building, kicking the old metal door with such force that it flew off the hinges. She took him into the first bathroom she found, throwing him against the opposite wall before turning and locking them inside. The colonel looked wide-eyed at the captain, and he could see both rage and question in her navy blue eyes. He sat still against the wall, gulping audibly.

"What the fuck is happening to you, Luke!" she finally shrieked in frustration. "You just yelled that we're your friends, but before that, you were mumbling as if you planned to throw us under the bus, so what the fuck is going on!"

Suddenly, the once great colonel, with all of his bulging muscles and fascinating charm, broke into a fit of body-wrenching sobs. He hung his head in his hands. Against all of her better judgement and usual devil-may-care attitude, Beca softened just a bit at the sight before her. Never had she seen the man cry. Never had she seen so much terror in his eyes. He was vulnerable and scared to shit, and she needed to understand.

"Luke," she said softly. "You're my brother. You always will be. I know you're in there, and I know this isn't your fault after what they did to you, but for the better of this company, I need you to talk to me. I need to know if you're a liability, and I'm sorry to say it that way, but I'm a leader, and that's my family out there, and for the greater good, I need to know. It's your job as well to protect us, but neither you nor I can do that if you don't talk to me. For your team, you need to fight against whatever they did to you and tell me right now."

Luke looked up slowly, taking a shaky breath to calm himself just enough to speak. His cloudy grey eyes were now rimmed with red and swollen.

"I-I don't know, Becs," he whispered in a hoarse voice. "I-I'm so scared. I-I called them. Th-they told me to. In my sleep. I-it's like voices arguing with my thoughts all of the time, and I'm trying to fight it, b-but it's so hard. That's why I told you they were coming because I _can _fight it at times but usually not until the damage has been done. I-I was supposed to kill you when you entered the base, b-but when I looked into your eyes, it brought me back. Y-you're my baby sister, but you are so much stronger than me, and I love you for it, but I know I'm only gonna let you down. I know y-you have to leave me."

"We're not leaving you, Luke. We'll get through this. As long as I know you're trying to fight it. I believe in you. Now look."

Beca quickly stripped down, her body and vision blurring, and soon, the great brown wolf appeared before Luke in the small bathroom. She let out a small whine to urge him to do the same, and she knew they had to be fast. Their scent would quickly intensify. Luke stood up with determination etched in his face. He took off his clothes, tossing them aside and concentrated hard until he felt himself lurch forward onto all fours. He let out a low growl, his eyes finding the captain's and focusing on the two orbs that kept him normal, kept him himself, the Marine.

"Listen to me, Luke," she thought. "Concentrate. Find me here. Block out those other voices and pay attention only to me. I'm here. This is us, and they can't get to you. You're a marine, Luke. _This _is your family, your army, your company."

Slowly, the words began to form in the lion's mind, first just small snippets then full sentences the harder he focused on the brunette's eyes as she continued to speak to him. When he was able to hear her, he bared his teeth in his version of a smile.

"I can hear you," he breathed. "Loud and clear, Cap."

"Okay, we're gonna be okay, Luke. I just need you to focus on me. I need you to be awake, and we'll keep doing this, keep breaking through. Now, come on."

Once the two were human and dressed again, they quickly headed back to the SUVs parked behind the station. Cynthia Rose had been able to pump some gas from the place as well as Benji, and they were now all on lookout as the demon scent slowly seeped into the atmosphere. Beca gestured them to pile in, but this time, Stacie swapped cars so that Luke could stay with Beca. He sat between Jesse and Beca in the backseat, Chloe behind them and Aubrey taking the navigator position.

"We phased," Beca informed them, "so they probably caught our scent. Let's get out of here as quickly as possible."

The SUVs were back on the road promptly, and Luke kept his eyes wide open. Cynthia turned on the radio, and the first thing to float through the car was "..._fugitives are said to be moving on foot somewhere in southwestern Nevada. If spotted, please call your local law enforcement. Fugitives are considered very dangerous. Do not approach..." _Cynthia Rose scoffed and turned it back down.

Beca slumped back in her chair, Chloe instantly laying a soft hand on her shoulder. Beca looked over to find those illuminated blue eyes, and she automatically donned a small smile. Chloe had only spoken once since awakening that moment, still shaken by the information uncovered the night before, but for Beca, she attempted to be strong. She had to be. She ran with fearless Marines now, and this was her life.

As Beca turned back towards the car, she saw another vehicle coming towards them on the road. It was speeding towards them, and Beca leaned forward.

"What the-" Cynthia Rose began as the white van swerved into their lane, not slowing as it approached. "Everyone, buckle up. Now!"

The others did so quickly as Beca reached over for the radio.

"Stop your car!" she bellowed into it, and she could see in the rearview mirror as Benji complied instantly. The brakes screeched behind them, and the car swerved slightly before coming to a stop. Cynthia Rose kept her eyes on the oncoming car, and at the last possible second she swerved out of the way. The back of their SUV was nicked however, and it spun them around as Cynthia Rose hit the breaks. It landed on its driver side, coming to a stop in the middle of the road as the van halted off to the side. Jesse and Beca grabbed a rifle from the back seat, loading and cocking it as they exited the car from the door atop them with some difficulty. The airbag had knocked Cynthia Rose and Aubrey unconscious upfront. Luke's leg was trapped beneath the blonde woman's seat now. The van was still. Benji had emerged while Chloe kicked out the back window, crawling out and trying to find balance. They cautiously approached the offended vehicle, and as they did, it blew up, sending them flying back and landing in the dust. Beca was the first to recover, jumping to her feet. She helped up Chloe and Benji. As they dusted themselves off, they could hear another engine roaring, approaching fast.

"Stacie!" Beca yelled hurriedly. "Get the car off the road now! It was a trap."  
Stacie did so immediately as two more vans appeared on the horizon, coming up fast. Benji, Jesse, Beca and Amy stepped into the road, aiming at the vehicle. When they came over the last hill of road, the marines began firing mercilessly into the bumper. The first van exploded, more tiny explosions occurring inside of it as demons were executed. The other van swerved across the road. As Beca's gun ran out of ammo, she tossed it aside and morphed into the towering wolf.

"Beca!" Jesse yelled. "NO!"

It was too late. Beca was running straight at the vehicle to stop it from hitting Cynthia's idle car with the lieutenants still inside. Benji ran towards it but Jesse knocked him onto the side of the road, knowing it would do no good. Beca gained speed, but with just about one hundred feet between her and the vehicle, she was knocked off of her path, rolling to a stop on the side of the road. She jerked her head up to see a majestic lion barreling towards the van. The lion collided with the vehicle, metal clashing with muscle. The van and animal alike bounced back off of another, Luke lying still on the ground as he blurred and became human. Beca jumped up, rushing towards him as the back door slid open. Benji and Jesse morphed in no time followed by Chloe. Stacie, Denise, Lily and Ashley ran to help Cynthia Rose and Aubrey. They lifted the car upright, pulling open the doors. Both of the lieutenants' faces were covered in thick blood. Lily morphed, using her teeth to tear apart the seatbelt. Ashley then pulled Aubrey out. Jessica came to the the driver seat, pulling the door clean off in her overwhelming adrenaline and tearing the seatbelt away. She dragged Cynthia to the side of the road, grabbing a water bottle from the back and splashing the liquid on Cynthia's face. She jolted into a sitting position, breathing hard and desperately wiping the blood from her eyes. She looked up to see her comrades in an intense fight with at least a dozen demons, and she could hear more engines coming. More were on their way. In a flash, her and Jessica were on all fours, rushing into the battle. Ashley and Lily tried desperately to wake up Aubrey, the tigress licking relentlessly at the blonde's face. Her breathing was shallow, and Ashley was sure she had a concussion.

"Benji!" she cried out.

The gorilla immediately turned around, and when he saw Aubrey laying there on the asphalt, he tore away from the battle and galloped back to them. The moment he arrived in human form, Ashley took shape and followed Lily towards their other comrades. Stacie did not want to leave Aubrey's side, but as another van pulled up, she took shape and rushed to aide them. Amy had taken the shape of an elephant now, stomping down on enemies as quickly as possible. For such a massive animal, she moved quickly, but soon they were shooting at her. She shrank back into a wolf, darting around stray shots and taking on the demons head on. Beca and Chloe fought back to back, tearing away at wave after wave of foes. Three more vans were quickly approaching now, and Beca knew they couldn't win this. It was that sort of thought that took her breath away, the balance between overestimating their rivals and underestimating themselves. She rushed back to the front of the first van, Luke still laying lifeless beneath the bumper. She tossed his human form up onto her back, racing towards Benji. She lowered him down, and Benji pulled him off. Beca was pained to see all of this. She licked Aubrey's face a few times, nudging her cheek with her nose. At last, Aubrey stirred. Her emerald eyes fluttered open to meet stormy blue ones.

"B-Beca," she gasped, but before she could move, a cry echoed across the road, or more of a howl. Beca turned to see three demons gripping the fox as she tried to break the hold. Beca was off in a flash, and she reached them, tearing into one demon and swatting away another.

"Retreat!" She hollared into her mind. Her team immediately began falling back as two more vans stopped. Amy took preferred form now as she followed her team. "Jesse and Lily, stay beside me. The rest of you. When we push forward, you need to get back to the car and phase back. Load up Luke and Aubrey, and we're getting out of here. You guys drive, and we'll follow. We have to move."

The others slowly fell behind their captain as more demons flowed from the vehicles. Beca waited only a few seconds, she looked to her left but found Chloe instead of Lily.

"Chloe-" she began, but the copper wolf cut her off.

"No," Chloe instantly shut her down. "You're my mirror. We stay parallel."

The chocolate wolf shook her head but said no more as their enemies advanced. A split second later, she bounded forward. The others turned, rushing back to the car. Stacie phased first, seeing if the first SUV still ran. It started, but Benji immediately opened the door.

"Stacie, no, it has a leak! Get out!" he urged.

She did so quickly, scooping up Aubrey as Benji took Luke, and they rushed to the other car, piling in. They drove around the side of the road and the vans with Benji at the helm and Cynthia Rose and Stacie now popping out of the sun roof. They opened fire with assault rifles on the vans, flattening tires and blowing out windows. Beca took the hint, barreling through the horde and out of the scuffle. Jesse, Chloe and Lily followed quickly, and as they did so, the middle van's gas tank exploded, beginning a chain reaction with the others. Demons flew everywhere as Beca led her team further into the desert away from the chaos before turning up and following after the SUV. They ran for a few miles, finding a side road that Cynthia turned onto. Beca didn't follow. If they could at least split the scent, they could possibly confuse any other enemies that approached. Where Cynthia turned right, she hooked left, and her group followed without any hesitation. It wasn't until they reached Lake Mead where the demon smell had subsided substantially that Beca came to a halt beside the water, night descending upon them.

"Where are we?" Chloe asked.

"Right beneath Las Vegas," Beca answered, surveying the area.

"You know, I always thought that Area 51 was _north _of Vegas."

"It was, but they moved it during your dad's first term. They started nuclear projects, and the waste became too much, so they moved it south when people started complaining about the pollution in the air."

"Hmmm."

"You think we lost them?" Jesse asked, sitting down on the rocky shore.

"I think so. They probably got mixed up with the smells."

"Cap?" a voice called now.

"Cynthia Rose, you guys okay?"

"Yeah, we're a few miles from the Grand Canyon, and we lost the demon smell. You?"

"Yeah, we're good. We're at Lake Mead. You think you guys could to take flight for a bit once we reach you?"

"Yeah, we're all good."

"What about Aubrey and Luke?"

"Aubrey had a mild concussion, but she's fine now. She was just worried about you and Red. Luke, well, he had a broken nose, but Benji has him looking better, but he's still a bit dizzy."

"It's okay. I can carry him a bit. We're taking off now, and we'll meet up with you then fly east for Georgia, take preferred form when we hit trees. Sound good?"

"All good, Cap."

Beca allowed her group a few more minutes to rest before she formed into her signature condor, sleek brown feathers surrounding her. Chloe took a matching form of a more auburn hue just as Jesse and Lily phased into more fitting birds of prey. Together, they spread their wings and ascended into the sky. They reached the rest of their company within the hour, finding all of them sprawled out along the ground nude after tearing their clothes in the fight and tossing around water bottles. No one thought to grab extra garments at base. They rarely used them anyway. Stacie and Denise were rolling left and right in laughter, and Beca shook her head as she became human. Already, her company had recovered from another battle. It was a great trait to have as a marine of course. If you didn't go in with it, it was surely acquired.

"What's so funny?" the captain questioned, eying her officers.

"They're jealous of my sexy, fat elephant ass."

Beca snorted, doubling over in her own laughter as she recalled the sight of the gargantuan animal stomping over demons.

"That was a good tactic, Amy," Chloe assured her, shoving Beca. "They _are_ jealous."

"I know, right! I was stomping all over those zombie nazis?"

Suddenly Luke jumped up, pointing a finger in Amy's face shakily as the quick movement made him rather dizzy.

"Wh-what did you just say?"

"Zombie...Nazis?"

He turned to Beca now, eyes shining. "Cap, they said something about that on that island! Something about zombies, that the treatment wasn't working and creating those 'zombies' as they said. It was going all wrong."

"Well, that kind of makes sense..." Beca pondered. "Maybe they over-shocked them or something. It didn't kill them, but it left them in that frozen state."

"How the hell is that possible?!" Aubrey, ever the skeptic, hollared now, dropping the ice pack Benji had given her from her head as she stood.

"How the hell are _we _possible!" Beca shot back, jutting a thumb to her own chest.

"Right." The blonde sat down once again.

"Well, that's the best theory we have so far, so I'll hold onto that. You guys ready?"

"Yup," they synchronized.

Beca chuckled. "We gotta stop ripping clothes."

"Hey, when we save the world, we should start a nudist colony," Amy offered.

"I second that!" Stacie instantly chimed.

"I'm sure you do."

A flock of birds rose into the sky, a meerkat sat on the back of the condor, slightly larger than the one she had carried once before. She made sure Luke was secure before turning her beak up and climbing higher. When they leveled out, they rocketed forward as the weather began to change. More snow greeted them further east into Northern Arizona and New Mexico. When they reached forest near Flagstaff, they descended, landing on the low branches of a tree. Luke assured her that he was good to run a little, and he really needed to in order to gain energy. They only stood idle a few minutes before darting off through the forests. They crossed New Mexico into Oklahoma through sleet and snow, and it was exhilarating as always. They rounded Oklahoma City, blurs in the wind and rain and never slowing. Chloe ran parallel with Beca as she had assured the captain she would, and they bounded through states with no problems. They came to rest beside a lake in Arkansas, taking in water before settling to hunt. Beca took in the scent of the air, and found it to be clean here.

"We'll fly out in the morning," she informed them. "Get into Athens by the afternoon."

The others nodded their agreement before splitting up to find food. Beca and Chloe stuck together, Aubrey never too far from them, and though the blonde was happy to see her two best friends bond so well, she couldn't help but feel a bit like a third wheel. She decided to keep an eye on Luke, following him through the trees.

"How are you feeling?" she asked, focusing solely on him. She had never tried to talk to her fellow lion privately in their heads, but as she was sure Beca and Chloe could judging by the two wolves' facial expressions at times and random laughter, she decided to try. Luke looked over at her to confirm he could hear her, and he was the only one to offer a response.

"I'm-alright," he replied slowly. "I'm really sorry about back there."

"We're just worried about you, Luke. We have no idea what you went through."

"Um, can the others hear us?"

"I don't think so. No one else answered me."

"Well, I was terrified, Bree. I was so scared at how bad they may have messed me up, but-when I look in your eyes or Beca's eyes, I feel a lot better. It creeps up though at times, the voices. That's why I took on that van. I knew it would get me if something happened to Beca when you were already unconscious. I knew that you two keep me grounded. More so you because you're like another half of me. Our forms are the same, and we've always had that connection, you know?"

"Yeah, I know, but I promise we're going to help you. We won't let them take you."

He licked her nose playfully as she reached up with a paw and patted his mane with a smile.

When they regrouped at the lake, everyone cleansed themselves of the evidence of their meal, Beca full after a few deer.

"You eat like a-never mind," Chloe quickly cut herself off as Beca smirked.

"Like a wolf?" she finished out.

"Sorry, I keep forgetting."

Beca slyly stepped away from the surface before lunging, tackling Chloe into the water. The two wolves splashed around a moment before Chloe was able to pin the other wolf under water. Beca slid out from beneath her, jumping into her side and knocking her away. Chloe giggled.

"Eh, it's improvement," she commented, shaking out her fur.

"It's skill, Beale," Beca retorted.

Chloe chuckled. "Nice poetic turn."  
"I try."

* * *

The company took a rest beside the lake that night, falling into sleep with Beca assuming the position of lookout. Chloe only slept a few hours before joining the other wolf. She brushed their shoulders, and their eyes met.

"Why are you awake?" Beca asked, eying her as the red wolf nuzzled into her neck.

"I'm completely rested," she replied.

"Sure."

"You know, it doesn't take much for me, and I'm thankful for any sleep. I haven't slept this well since-well, you know."  
"Why haven't you?"

"The nightmares. They wouldn't leave me alone all those months."

"Yeah, I-I used to have nightmares too, so I-I went like weeks without sleeping a couple of times. I don't know how, but I did. Then, when it became too much, I would just collapse, but I would sleep so deeply that the nightmares couldn't reach me. I wouldn't remember if they had."

Chloe waited a few moments before speaking again, enjoying the other wolf's presence.

"Beca, thanks for sharing so much of yourself with me."

"Well, Clifford, against all of my common sense and better judgement, I feel obligated to."

"It's a wolf thing, I guess."

"Yeah, maybe it is."

Chloe lowered her head onto the chocolate paws beneath, and Beca rested her head atop the copper fur.

"What happens?" Chloe asked softly. "When we get out of this?"

"I don't know," Beca sighed. "Hopefully, we can at least attempt a normal life."

"Yeah, maybe. I doubt it with all these secrets pouring out."

"Well, we leave that in the past. If anything, we can forget the lack of normality before, and we can have a semi-normal future together."

"Together? Like you and me?"

Beca tensed a moment before donning her lopsided grin. "I'll consider it."

Chloe craned her neck up, gently biting Beca's neck, and Beca jumped up. They stilled, now sitting across from each other, noses touching.

"Well, I can no longer see a life without you, so..." Beca softly admitted.

"Good, because neither can I."

* * *

Luke settled onto Beca's back once more as the group prepared to take flight. Chloe and Aubrey flanked their two leaders, and the condor spread its wings. They ascended once more as dawn broke slightly over the horizon. The land below was silent, and the air was fresh. The company enjoyed it for as long as they were capable, but the moment they broke over the Georgia state line, that old alarming smell attacked their senses much denser than ever before. As if that were not enough, the moment the scent surrounded them, the condor felt a set of sharp teeth sink into its neck. She squawked in pain as the teeth bit into her again, and she turned in the air, trying to knock off the offender. The meerkat held on by teeth and fingers, and they went spiraling to the ground. Chloe and Aubrey nose dove after her, the others following suit. The condor became submerged in trees, hitting multiple branches before hitting the ground hard atop the meerkat. The moment Chloe and Aubrey touched down, they phased. Beca was now human, rolling over off of the meerkat that was now blurring before it revealed Luke. His eyes flew open, and he jumped up with a roar. His hands shot up to grip his hair as he rocked back and forth in a sitting position. Beca was wary from the fall and all of the twists and turns in the air as Jesse and Benji rushed over to Luke. He pushed them away, snarling before taking preferred form and darting off into the trees.

"Jesse and Lily, follow him," Aubrey ordered, and they did so immediately.

"What the fuck just happened!" Stacie asked as she landed and phased.

"Luke bit Beca!" Chloe returned, her eyes locked on the sitting captain. "Are you okay, Becs?"

Beca lifted a hand to the back of her neck, withdrawing blood on her fingers. Benji removed the satchel from his body at the sight of the thick red liquid, gently moving her forward into a hunched position and kneeling at her side. Taking a cotton ball and peroxide, he dabbed at the wounds before applying pressure to them.

"The smell," Beca breathed shakily. "It has an effect on him still. It came too strongly and too quickly for him to fight it."

"What happened back at that station?" Cynthia Rose asked, kneeling in front of her captain.

"He told me that he-he hears voices. The voices told him to give them our location at the DC network. He's trying to fight it, but that scent gets to him, and the voices give him orders in his sleep that he can't stop until it's too late sometimes."

"That's why he went at the van," Aubrey added in. "It started to get to him, and he said Beca and I keep him grounded, so instead of Beca taking the hit, he did to knock himself out. He probably wouldn't have been much help fighting them with so many there."

"What the hell do we do?" Stacie asked.

"I really think we have to end this without him," Beca huffed.

"Beca, we can't do that!" Aubrey stood now, screeching. "We can't just leave him here! He's trying! He's fighting it, and he's one of our own! We can't just-"

Beca jumped to her feet now, staring up at Aubrey. "Stand down, lieutenant! We can't help him with all of those things around! Do you wanna keep risking all of our lives! If we end this, we may be able to save him! I'm sending him back west. Arkansas didn't seem too occupied, and he can find a place there to wait! I'm sorry, Bree, but we can't keep on like this! He'll end up hurting us all if we keep doing this! I can't focus on him and keeping moving forward because with every passing second, more of those fuckin' things are created! Do you understand!"

Aubrey locked eyes with the captain a moment, an epic stare down until at last, the blonde averted her gaze. She nodded half-heartedly. With that, Beca stepped away from her. As she did, there was a loud roar of a tiger followed by that of lion. Without skipping a beat, they phased and darted off in the direction of the disturbance. Soon, Beca could see Jesse's silk black form trying to hold down the lion, the tigress laying off to the side trying to get up. She rushed to Jesse's aide, Chloe and Aubrey flanking her. Benji rushed over to Lily followed by Stacie. Beca didn't hesitate. She lunged at the lion, biting down on his neck hard, drawing blood. The lion screeched in pain before submitting, dropping to the ground. He phased back to human form, gripping at his hair again. Beca morphed now, and the others followed. Lily was up now, walking off the injury of being bitten in her thigh.

"We're taking you back west, Luke," Beca said sternly. "I'm sorry, but we can't have this."

"I know," he cried. "I know, but I-"

"No, we'll leave you in Mississippi, and you go to Arkansas. It's less occupied there, and the scent is faint. We'll come back for you once we figure all of this out, but I can't risk this team's health any longer or there will be no one to save us."

"Beca, I-"

"Luke, you nearly killed the both of us! You gave me lead, and I'm taking it. Chloe, Aubrey and I will take you back to the state line. Jesse and Benji, keep moving east, and we'll catch up with you."

The others didn't dare question or disagree with the captain. They had seen that look in her eyes, a look of pure concern and exhaustion clashing into unadulterated rage. They nodded.

"Turn into a rabbit," Beca demanded Luke, and Amy snickered lightly but immediately phased.

Luke did as he was told, and he came to find himself before two condors and a hawk once more. Without a second's notice, Beca took the fur of his neck in her beak and carried him off back west. The others turned tail and headed the other way. The smell slowly lost its intensity as they reached the state line. Beca carried him until the smell was faint then completely replaced by the fresh scent of trees and swamps. She descended gradually, dropping to the ground in a wooded area and releasing Luke. He hopped away a few feet before phasing into his human form, his counterparts following suit. He put his hands gently on the captain's shoulders.

"I'm sorry, Becs," he huffed, kissing her forehead. "I understand though. Be safe."

"You too," she replied, eyes softening ever so slightly.

He released the captain then took Chloe in a light hug before releasing her. As Beca stepped away with Chloe, fingers interlocked, he smiled and enveloped Aubrey in a firm grasp, the blonde wrapping her arms around his neck. They hugged for a long moment, silence blanketing them before Aubrey pulled away with a weak smile.

"We'll come back for you," she whispered.

"I know you will, Bree," he sighed. "You be safe, okay?"

"I will."

"I'd say to watch Chloe, but it looks like cap's got that covered." They glanced over at the two freshly phased wolves nuzzling one another.

"Yeah, she does, and you were right to put her in charge."

"I know I was, but she's lucky to have you as her right hand. I-I love you, Aubrey. Really. I really love you."

"Don't. Don't do that, Luke. Don't mess me up and make it sound so final."

"No, I'm not, but I want you to know. I know that what's happening to me is bad, and I'll keep fighting, but you need to know that I really do love you. I always have and always will. We've always had this bond, but this life has not made it easy for us to have such emotions. Those are our two best mates though, and I see that it's not impossible, so you have to know because I wanna make sure you get your happy ending too when it's all over. I'll be there."

Storm grey met emerald green, and Luke leaned in, pressing their lips together softly. They stayed that way for a few minutes before stepping apart. Without another word, Luke turned, taking phase and racing away. Aubrey turned back to the two wolves, both with sadness in their eyes. Beca lifted up her head, licking Aubrey's face playfully, and the blonde laughed as the copper wolf joined in on the fun.

"Gross," she giggled, swatting the wolves gently. "Come on. Let's go."

With that, she took phase and raced alongside her two best friends. It was a revelation that night. Aubrey had never thought of the bond she had formed with the colonel. He had always been there since high school, long after the last tour. She had always been so wrapped up in her connection with Beca and how it had come into fruition, but when the captain was thrown in the asylum, Luke had been there beside her to ease the pain of losing all of their friends and transitioning into a life outside of fatigues and M4's. She did love him. She really did, but love was not something she could focus on right now. She was not like the captain. She could not protect Luke from his inner demons the way that Beca could protect Chloe from those that had manifested into a literal sense. She could not follow him. Her team needed her, and Beca would be the first to tell her that the captain needed her.

Beca led her two comrades airborne when they crossed back into Georgia and the smell became overbearing. The pollution in the air was hopefully helping to mask their scent. Cynthia Rose had led the others into the air shortly after the two groups dispersed, and they had already arrived in Athens. Lily was able to acquire an address of the old Daughtry address after getting her hands on a computer in a close neighborhood, but it had been destroyed like most of the rest of the city. Beca completely disregarded the fact her soldier had just looted because they actually needed it. It was a matter of national security. She was still disappointed about the house however, and they needed a new plan.

They ended up meeting in an abandoned hotel building on the top floor, taking human form and gathering around. Beca briefed them all on what they knew about the Daughtry's, and that was really all they had to go on with this dead end.

"I think we'll fare better in Barden," Stacie said when Beca had finished.

"Yeah, we're all from there, and even Chloe lived there once. Maybe it isn't too bad either. I mean, we didn't phase much after coming home, right?"

The others shook their heads. In fact, the entire two years leading up to their reunion, none of them had found reason to phase. Lily and Beca couldn't whether they wanted to or not, and Aubrey and Luke had been in Washington.

"So the smell should be pretty faint if existent at all. Maybe my laptop will still be there too. We can find a car and head down there."

"Don't make it a habit of burglary," Beca chided lightly.

"National Security, Cap," Amy simply replied. "It's like when the police say 'police! We need your vehicle!' They flash the badge and jack the Camaro."

"Lord, help us."

It turned out that acquiring a car and clothes in an abandoned neighborhood was rather easy, and though the smell of the enemy was intense, they still had yet to come in contact with one. They piled into an older Suburban with dark windows, Cynthia Rose once again at the helm and Stacie beside her. Benji and Jessie were able to get their hands on a Tahoe, and with Lily's hotwiring help, they got it moving. The smoke emitted from the tailpipes hopefully helped fade their scent. Cynthia Rose, Stacie, Aubrey, Chloe, Beca and Jesse took the lead while Benji drove for the others. The ride out of Athens down backstreets was quiet as rain set in over the city. Barden was a drive of about an hour and forty-five minutes, and Cynthia Rose pulled into a gas station right outside of town when she read the meter was only at a quarter tank. Benji then realized he was very low on the fuel as well, and they both came to a halt. Beca walked inside to state her credentials to the cashier and try for some free fuel, but there was no one inside. It was deserted. When she walked back out, Cynthia Rose and Benji already had their fuel pumps going. She shook her head. Amy stuck her head out the window.

"Can we get snacks?" the Aussie asked.

Beca snorted a laugh but nodded. "You have two-" Amy was gone in seconds. "-minutes."

Beca walked over to the Suburban where Aubrey was leaning against the door. She had her eyes on the ground. The captain tucked a finger under her lieutenant's chin, guiding her eyes up to meet hers. She smiled, and Aubrey returned it weakly.

"Hey, I love you too, ya know?" Beca said softly, and Aubrey feigned shock with a hand to her chest.

"Mitchell!" she gasped. "I've never heard you say those words!"

Beca swatted the taller woman. "Yeah, yeah, don't get used to it, but I just wanted to make sure I told you once in this lifetime, but you just used that card, so no more for you."

Aubrey slugged her arm lightly with a giggle, but then a tear escaped her eyes, and Beca did not hesitate to take her best friend in her arms. They stayed like that until Cynthia Rose let them know they were ready to go. She kissed Aubrey's forehead before going around the Suburban to slide into her seat beside Chloe. Chloe gave her a warm smile, curling into her side, and Beca threw an arm around her. She then placed her hand on Aubrey's shoulder, Aubrey reaching up and giving it a squeeze before linking the fingers.

* * *

Barden was not full of destruction or chaos like many other cities they had seen, but it was completely deserted. The air was thick with a sour smell, and it smelled a lot like something dead or poisoned.

"Chemical waste," Beca sighed. "Well, that will surely keep us safe."

"Yeah," Cynthia Rose chuckled as she headed to her home to check for a laptop before anything else. She was surprised to find that it was still in mint condition, and it was charged luckily because there was of course no power circulating through the homes. When she returned to the car, the company began going down the line. Many of the houses in the southern neighborhood where Jessica, Denise and Ashley had grown up had been looted and/or destroyed. They had gone to Abernathy, a private all-girls school in South Barden. Jesse and Benji had gone to John Jameson all-boys school in the southeast. They were able to find a few more photos of all of their parents together in the military, and Jesse's dad had stored some paper clippings about their success in Japan. They didn't find anything too helpful until they reached the old Beale residence where Chloe had lived for all of four years while she was home schooled until freshman year when she passed the test to be moved up, skipping a few grades. There was a large black binder in Evan's old closet beneath a loose floorboard Beca conveniently noticed, and when they opened it, they found many pictures of Abigail and Malcolm, the twins girls together, Evan and Malcolm, and all four of them together. There was also one of Chloe in Abigail's arms, Malcolm smiling beside them, in the hospital right after she was born. She turned away at this, trying to control and restrain the tears from falling as Aubrey rubbed her back. In one of the see-through plastic sleeves, Beca caught sight of what looked like a piece of paper. She reached in and removed a folded up letter. It was addressed to Chloe, and it was signed by Abigail. Beca stood, offering it to the redhead. She took it in her hands then handed it back quickly.

"Read it, please."

It was only Beca, Aubrey and Chloe in the room at the time, and Beca shut the door before unfolding the withered, yellowed piece of paper. She cleared her through before beginning.

_"11/15/2003_

_My Dearest Chloe,_

_If you are reading this, that means I am already gone. I am not sure if your aunt and uncle will give you this. We always talked about what we would do if something happened to your father and I. They would take you and take care of you. You may never know me. I cannot predict the future completely, but there is one thing I cannot deny. There will come a time in your life where you will face great change, and you will have so many questions. It is against all we believe in and protect for me to put this on paper, so all I can do is pray those answers find you the way they found your father and I. If this letter does ever get to you, just know your father and I love you. I used to read "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" all the time when you were in my belly. I left the copy with your aunt. Maybe she'll get the chance to read it to you one day. If not, you should try it. The copy in your aunt's possession is very special, and it will show you many things are possible, and hopefully, you can understand. Well, I wish you the best my love, and I will always be watching over you. Your father and I love you so very much, and we only wanted a better life for you. I do hope you get that life._

_Love always, Mom"_

By now, Chloe was in tears, but she was still silent. Beca looked up, sadness in her eyes while Aubrey rubbed the redhead's back. Suddenly, Beca looked down, studying the note again. She began looking all over the room. Aubrey gave her a curious look but continued consoling the redhead. Beca searched a few shelves once more but found nothing then she dove into the closet again, ripping up the floorboard and the others around it.

"What are you doing?" Aubrey at last asked.

Beca then emerged with a worn out book in her hands, the front cover reading "Tales of Huckleberry Finn". It was sealed in plastic, and Beca gently unwrapped it. When she opened it however, it was not the text one would expect to see in a children's book. It was a bunch of handwritten words. Beca sat down against the wall now, Aubrey leading Chloe over to join her. Beca scanned through the pages quickly, eyes gradually widening.

"What is it?" Aubrey asked.

"It's-Malcolm," she replied slowly, never taking her eyes off the book. "This would explain how Evan knew what was coming at best. Guys, get in here!" When the rest of the company filed into the room, sitting cross-legged on the floor, she continued her commentary.  
"The research, the stuff he died for. It was-Galbraith. Dillon Galbraith was trying to get his brother to steal the documents from Malcolm. He had been doing research on the shifters. He has a bunch of entries and notes here. They were trying to...reverse the shifting? Like, stop someone from having that power."

"Well, if you learn to reverse something, you can use those steps backwards to create it again, ya know," Cynthia Rose pointed out.

"Yeah, and that's what-he was doing to-Stacie's mom. Stacie, how did she die?"

"She was killed in an explosion at the lab she was working at. She was a chemist, but I don't know much else. I was really young when she passed."

"When did you phase?"

"She died when I was five. I didn't phase until I was eleven."

A pause. "Wait, did she have any brothers or sisters?"

"Yeah, she had a brother, but he-he died when I was-eleven!" Realization set in.

"Exactly. That's why Chloe didn't phase when her real parents died. The entire generation had to be taken out before she could phase. Clarissa kept her from phasing. That was what I told Chloe the night we found out about her parents."

"Well, yeah, my dad died when I was five too," Benji explained, "but Aunt Maggie didn't die until I had already turned thirteen."

"And how did he die?"

"Uh, well my mom never talked about it. She got pretty sick when I was seven, but I think it was an accident at work or something."

"Okay, keep reading Becs," Aubrey urged.

Beca did so. "He was testing them, trying to find out how it happened. Their parents had been shifters too, but he was still trying to find out how. That's when he was assigned to MK Ultra, when John Galbraith was assigned to General."  
"Dillon must have put him up to it when he figured out what his brother was."

"Yeah, he had him research MK Ultra, and they tried to fuse the two studies together. John tried to use the shock therapy to create shifters."

"What does that say?" Aubrey pointed to the next page. "It's in someone else's writing."

"I think it's John's handwriting. He tried it on someone else before trying it on his brother. I mean, he tested it himself at Dillon's command, but nothing happened of course. He-they took a Japanese couple they met at one of the camps to try it on after they were released. What the-"

"So what the hell happened? If Galbraith is a demon thing now, it must have gone wrong, but who else aside from John did it go right on to make him think it would work?"

There was a long pause as the group considered the question.

"Lily!" Jesse suddenly cried out. "Were your parents in a camp like that?"

"It's possible," Lily hissed. "They were born here, and so were my grandparents. They would have been in the country at that time, yeah."

"He must have taken Lily's parents when they came back to Barden, but they were already shifters, so it may have screwed up their senses like it did Luke's, and they may have phased to escape, but they thought it was the therapy that made them that way. The shock must have messed up John's senses, so he couldn't tell that Lily's parents were already shifters. Also, they would have been in human form a long time in that camp, fading the scent. How did they die?"

"Suicide." A seconds' pause. "When I turned five. My uncle died much later though. I was thirteen, and that's when I shifted."

"The voices. Maybe that made them do it. The schizophrenia they developed." Aubrey went pale, and Beca immediately caught it. "No, Bree, Luke knows what's happening to him. They were the first. They probably didn't understand. He'll be fine. Besides, it could also be that the other shifters started dying, and they were afraid. Maybe they thought they could protect Lily that way, by getting it over with." The blonde gradually relaxed.

"So what you're saying is that our parents were science experiments?" Stacie clarified.

"Some of them, yes. Others are mentioned here and there. Like, uh, Benji's dad was the medic. He helped stabilize them once they came off treatment. Makes sense, but they all worked in a lab here in Barden. Cynthia Rose's dad did logistics and stuff like that. At one point, every single one of our parents gave a blood sample, but not all stayed around. These notes span until about '90, and then they don't resume again until 2002 when they actually tried it."

"Well, none of us were born earlier than '96. Luke was born that year, and he's oldest. Chloe was born in 2003, and she's the last."

"Yeah, and Luke's dad didn't move into Barden until '93, so they all had time to start their normal lives, at least try to while Malcolm was still working on this with John. Then John tried it on his brother, and he turned into one of those things. He wanted to be a shifter, but he couldn't. Still, they turned him to a monster. That's when they went after Malcolm and the rest of the research, in 2002."

"So he settled for that thing though."

"Yeah, and killed his brother, so that he could test his strength."

"Fuck, it makes so much sense, it's creepy."

"Yeah, well, at least we're making progress here."

Beca scanned the next few pages before flipping from back to front there. There were a few more entries there, and Beca was in awe.

"It talks about it," she breathed. "The attack on the White House. They started planning it in 2006. Evan Beale had just been made an Atlanta senator, and they must have known his connection to Daughtry, that he had Chloe."

"And both of Chloe's parents were shifters," Aubrey added, "so he wanted to see if that affected it at all. That's why he's after you. Maybe he's after Beca too because they got Luke to talk."

"Yeah, and I'm sure Evan had to have read this book at least once. Peeked."

"So he knew all that, and he didn't try to stop it?" Chloe now rang out.

"Chlo, I don't think there was anything he could do. Really, he probably tried to go against them, and that's why they killed him instead of used him."

"Damn," Cynthia Rose sighed. "This just keeps getting better and better."

* * *

Beca insisted her team rest, but they assured her they could make it through the rest of the Barden tour although many looked wary. It was just all of the information piled up. With the abandonment of the entire city, the few of them that had living parents the last time they checked had no idea where said parents were, and it was a shocking revelation. They marched on though. They found several other notes of the same type from Stacie's mother's point of view after undergoing research with Malcolm. Not much came of it because the shifters had no special chemicals in their blood or anything different in their brains from a human. They didn't know how they were special. They just were, but Galbraith didn't settle for that.

The truth of the matter was uncovered funny enough in the Wilson house. After Amy's parents had moved into Barden to be with the others, Bradley had begun working with Conrad and Daughtry with his skill in chemistry and physics rivaling Danielle Conrad. It was then he spoke about John pressing Malcolm for more on his research on Danielle, but Daughtry refused to divulge anything. He had a bad feeling about John's brother from the get-go, and he was afraid the twins were sharing information. John hired someone in the science community to bid for the documentation. He had even bribed Bradley and Danielle to no avail. In the days following this, the lab was blown to pieces, killing Danielle in the process as well as Benji's dad and Cynthia's dad with Bradley narrowly escaping but not for long. He noted that he had been followed home on many nights, but he couldn't leave the others. He visited both Beca's dad and Aubrey's mom on occasion, and the two seemed close though neither Aubrey nor Beca recalled this but possibly explained their bond in short. This did gave both Benji and Cynthia Rose some closure however as both were only three when it happened, and they were able to put away the excuse that daddy just never came home to them. Amy's father passed when she was six, killed the way Aubrey's mother had been, but coincidence was no longer in their train of thought. What the team could be sure of? They were the same targets their parents had been, and if they wanted to stand any chance, they had to take care of each other way better than their parents did. All they had was each other, and they needed every single one of their teammates to survive in the most dangerous game.


	9. Secrets in the Attic

**_A/N: So we have some more big twists and turns on this epic journey for you. We are getting in deep with everyone, some real secret compartments as a wise friend told me. You know who you are lol. Thank you to both Fireworkk33 and Detective Sexy McBadass (real name I swear lol) for all of your help here. We really worked on this next piece together, and I would have never done it without you two. So lets see how it plays out, shall we?_**

_The company had been welcomed back to their base in Fallujah with celebration in the air. There was alcohol, music and a bunch of superiors thanking them for their mission against all doubts and discouragement, Luke leading the welcoming committee. He had been forced to stay back with the rest of his squad, but he had been with them in spirit. He had never lost faith in them or Beca. There was talk that medals were inevitable at this point. In just a few hours, they had done what couldn't be done over the last four years, and they had done it easily. Their superiors questioned them on how they did it, not bothering to worry about who gave them the order because they couldn't deny it was a good thing, but the company simply said that they were smart. They worked as a team and got it done. The moment they arrived at camp however, regardless of the celebration and the calling of her name, Beca had retreated to her tent and locked herself away from the festivities. She felt numb to all of it, and she felt the urge to phase and run the desert, far from everything and everyone. Those same superiors who were now chanting her name and assuring her medals were the same superiors that had tried to send her company home without her, the same ones who had given up all hope on her and left her for dead. She need not be around them right now as her blood still boiled, and the taste of the dictator's blood was still present though it could not quench the thirst. _

_Despite sleeping for nearly two months, the captain's body was drained of all energy. She settled onto her cot and immediately fell into an uneasy sleep, nightmares of torture and taunting flooding her head and caused her to curl up in a very small ball beneath the loose sheets. She subconsciously broke into a sweat, her body temperature reaching to new heights as she tossed and turned then returned to the fetal position over and over. She could still here the voices, the chanting, the endless crack of the whip against her skin. Each time it sounded, she would toss, then turn, then ball up. It would not cease however, and it took everything in Beca not to phase although she was unable to wake up. The nightmare had sucked her in, engulfed her, clouded her head. In this nightmare, she didn't execute her tormentor yet. Instead, she continued to relive the months prior although she knew he could no longer hurt her. Fear was one thing the captain could not live with. She could not see herself fearing anything. That was not who she was. She could tear anything and anyone apart in seconds. Who the hell did she have to be afraid of? They got her once. It would never happen again, so how was the nightmare able to riddle her so helpless?_

_Outside, everyone was getting wasted, including Sergeant Major Robbie Kincaid. He wasn't the brightest bulb in the box to begin with, but with alcohol flooding through his system and the rest of Beca's company too occupied to keep watch upon their captain, trying to drink away the worry of earlier and praying their captain slept it all off, Kincaid felt it was his duty to bring her back to the party and get her wasted with the rest of her comrades. The Sergeant made his way towards her tent stumbling, two beers in his large, meaty hands. He had always been the one to tease her and torment her, but he could not deny had always been fascinated with the great captain that was a shoe-in to take his job anytime now. Hell, she could be General with her resume. It wasn't as if Stafford had achieved even half of what she had in a span of four years in his thirty-year career. She was the epitome of an American Marine, and she had only just turned twenty. He felt that she had every reason and obligation to be present for a celebration in her name. They could sleep back home. Tonight, they would fill the desert with their victory cries and who better than Captain Beca Mitchell to lead the parade? _

_He reached the opening, pulling back the flap carefully and allowing himself inside. He saw the small figure curled up on the bed though a tad bit blurry from the alcohol he guessed, and he donned a goofy grin that could rival Officer Swanson's when he watched his movies._

_"MItchell," he hissed as he approached. "Hey, Mitchell. Come on. You should be out here. This is all for you, kid. Come on."_

_The burly man loomed over the tiny captain, continuing to call her. He soon resorted to sappy nicknames, swaying back and forth._

_"Mitchell. Psst. Short stack. Come on, small fry. Let's go, Mitchell! Get up and come have a drink! I got you a-a beer. You need to-get on this level."_

_Still, Beca did not awaken though she tossed back and forth a few times. Finally, the sergeant became frustrated and decided to take a hands-on approach. He place the two beers he was carrying on the desk beside the cot and turned back to the slumbering captain. He clamped down roughly on the brunette's shoulder, jerking her towards him. Wrong move. In a flash, the brunette was up. She gripped him by his neck with a single hand, slamming him to the ground before attacking him with heavy fists. The sergeant screamed in horror before he was choking up blood, his nose smashed in. He was unrecognizable in minutes. Luke and several other superiors rushed in at the sound of the man's cry, Jesse, Aubrey and Cynthia Rose quickly following. It took every single one of them to pull Beca off, and even as they pulled her away, she continued to flail, trying to break their hold with her eyes still shut. They yelled for Benji, who immediately came in and stabbed the captain in her leg with a needle to put her to sleep before descending beside the sergeant. The tiny brunette's company watched on in horror as she was carried away by several marines, Aubrey trying to follow but being ordered back by her superiors. Even Luke was forbidden from accompanying her, and it was a sight that broke their hearts. Had it not been for the others, Aubrey and Jesse would have gone back to finish off the sergeant, but their comrades pulled them back away from the camp a small ways to calm down. There were tears all around, a few prayers sent up, pleas for help. They all huddled together, Jesse and Luke holding Aubrey as the lieutenant willed herself not to cry. When no one could answer her question of where they had taken her unlikely best friend, the dams broke and tears flooded from her eyes onto the sand beneath. It tore away a part of each and every heart around her, and even Amy was lost for words either humorous or otherwise. Stacie was in a state of shock, and Cynthia Rose was both angry and scared. Jesse, though trying to calm Aubrey, had his own tears silently falling from his eyes, and Luke felt more helpless than he ever had. It was not supposed to be this way. They had rescued her. They had brought her home, and for what? So an inebriated sergeant could startle her into attack and get her taken away? No, it never should have been this way. They were supposed to go home together, start a new life and be beside each other because they were the only family they really had left. There was only one thing on their mind now. They had not just lost their captain, but they may have also lost a vital piece of their family..._

* * *

"Where to next?"

"Well, I think it's about time to face my fears. Let's head to my parents' house."

Cynthia Rose glanced at the captain through her rearview, and the others also stole a look. Beca kept her gaze out the window as she recited her old address, and no one said anything, but they were all pretty sure that Beca had not been there since before her parents passed on. It was a bold choice, but then again it was boldness that made her the legendary captain she was.

Cynthia Rose took Beca's directions, driving through fog and rain until they reached the correct address. Beca took a deep breath and Chloe squeezed her hand reassuringly before she opened the door. She stepped out, and Cynthia went to explain where they were to the others. Beca took in the familiar structure before her, and every memory she had suppressed for years came flooding back. Though it was nothing more than a rundown home now, the roof sagging from the many rains and the paint peeling off of the walls, she could still smell her mother's freshly baked apple pies, her father's musty cologne and the rose that once bloomed along the house. Now, vines had grown over the front door, and the front lawn was full of dead grass and weeds. She inhaled deeply, turning to Chloe. Chloe leaned down, their noses touching.

"I think I need to do this alone," Beca whispered softly, her voice cracking at the end.

"I understand," Chloe returned. "You can do this, Baby. It's time we all face the past and move forward. I'll be right here waiting."

Beca tilted her head, capturing Chloe's lips in a sweet kiss, their bodies melding together. When they pulled away, Chloe pecked the captain's forehead before breaking all contact. Beca took one last deep breath, balling her hands into fists and turning to face the house once more. Chloe approached the others to stop them from following, and Beca went up to the house. She tore the vines away from the door. She was doing this more so to face her past and find closure than to actually find clues. It was something she had to do in order to move forward with her life, with Chloe, with anyone or anything. She forced the door open, and as she stepped inside, the memories overwhelmed her. Tears fell silently from stormy blue eyes. She shut the door behind her and made her way through the house. It was just as her parents had left it. Nothing had been moved other than the various furniture being pushed up against the wall. Beca guessed it was done by friends of the family like Professor Atkinson or Warner. She wandered into her old bedroom first, climbing the stairs and gently pushing the door open. It remained unscathed. Her shelf full of CDs remained under a few layers of dust. Her old laptop was atop the dresser, chunky headphones beside it from a time when music actually thrilled her rather than tore her apart. It was when her mother would sing to her, with her, and it was still amazing how she was able to sing to and with Chloe because that had been her mother's thing. She had not even listened to music, apart from when Jesse or Amy or Stacie put it on, after their passing, and even then, she had never allowed herself to enjoy it. The pictures still lined the wall. She slipped one out of its frame, her standing between two smiling brunettes in front of a vast lake. They were so happy, a perfect family, and they held no secrets.

When she could no longer take her room and the tears were crashing down, she swallowed the emotions and entered her parents' room. The bed was still unmade from the last time they had slept in it Thursday night, the night before they were killed, but it smelled of dust and mold now. She wondered who the student really was, if he was a student at all, if an innocent man had gone to prison for being in the wrong place at the wrong time or if he had in fact been something else. She shook the thoughts away, focusing on the mission to keep the pain at bay, and she began looking through drawers, checking for false bottoms or loose carpeting in the closets. There was none. How could her father keep nothing at all? Had he had bad experiences with the company? When all she could come up with was the same picture of the entire company and a few newspaper clippings, she broke it down to him freaking after shifters started dying. He was trying to hide his association, and save his life. Why had her mother been killed though? Had she not been with Cal that day, would she have lived? Nothing made any sense anymore, and it was tearing Beca to pieces from the inside out.

When Beca was just about done with her search, she checked one last place-her father's study. She flipped through every book and scanned over every document. At last, in the bottom of one drawer, was a folded up piece of paper, withered and yellowed like the note from Chloe's mother. When Beca realized what she had in her hand, her breath caught as tears landed upon the aged paper.

* * *

_"Beca,_

_First off, know that I love you with every fiber of my being, and you are everything to me. These last four years have been a blessing, and though I do hope I can spend many more with you, I know that it cannot be promised. If you ever happen to come across this note, it is most likely because the past has caught up with me. One day, you will understand though I cannot explain it to you. Regardless, you will be faced with change that will be both a blessing and a curse. I do hope that you understand I never meant for things to come out this way. I did my very best to protect you and your mother, but there are things that I am sure that will come to light. If ever you need help or a way to understand, find Erica Posen. If she is no longer living, find her daughter Aubrey, and you two may uncover truths together. If you are able to find these truths, I will be the first to say that they will hurt you deeply, but they will also help you make sense of all that can lead you on the right path. I am so sorry that it has come to this, but know that your mother and I did the things we did because we love you. You will always be daddy's little soldier. Your mother and I love you more than you will ever know, and I only hope that you can find it in your heart to forgive me, to forgive us. Stay strong, babygirl. _

_-Daddy"_

* * *

With that, Beca broke down into a fit of tears. The note confused her even more so, and she had no idea how to take it. She had found Aubrey, and she had been given the change, the blessing and the curse of being what she was. Why would it hurt though? What else was being hidden? She was sure her family was not like the Beales, holding secrets. Could he only be talking about being a shifter? It didn't make any sense, and what had her mother done that could be so bad? She only hoped that they would uncover the final pieces at the Posen residence. It was the only place left, and part of her was terrified of the outcome, but no matter what they uncovered, they had a mission. They could not allow the failures of the past to hinder the success of the future.

When she gained her composure, she tucked the note away in her pocket and headed back out of the house, leaving behind the only place the presence of her parents still lingered.

No one said anything as Beca emerged from the home. She gave them a weak smile. Aubrey and Chloe stood in front of car leaning against the bumper. She kissed both of them on the forehead and gestured for them to get in. Aubrey, with a deep breath, gave Cynthia Rose the address to her childhood home, and they headed up into the hills where the magnificent mansion was located.

"Damn, Bree, what the hell did your parents do?" Cynthia Rose asked, looking up at the place.

"My father was a traveling lawyer," she explained. "My mother was a substitute teacher at all of the schools, including the college."

"Wow, they had it made."

"I guess so, but it wasn't as if the guy was here much."

Beca had decided against giving Aubrey the note for now, wanting to see what they would find in the house first. As they arrived, the others were in awe at the structure before them, majestic with a strong resemblance to Little Mermaid's castle in the disney movies with white walls and gold trim around large pillars. It too was old and abandoned, but it was still beautiful. Aubrey forced the door open as each of them had to do at their respective homes, and she gave orders as to where everyone should search. It would surely take all of them. Many of the rooms were empty, and Aubrey guessed that her father had cleared out her room when she took the military over law school. She had not been home since. She had attended his funeral but had not come to the estate. It had been much too painful then. After turning up the living room, Beca took to the attic, and she clambered up the pulldown ladder after jumping to reach the cord that released it, pulling herself onto the hardwood floor. There were a few boxes here and there but nothing special save for some old books, which she flipped through. It seemed that the place had been thoroughly emptied in the past few years, and Aubrey was already sure they wouldn't find anything. This scared Beca more than she would ever show. The brunette stood with a sigh, kicking the boxes back against the wall, and she turned to leave back down. As she crossed the floor again, one of the boards creaked loudly. She looked down to find that it was loose. She kneeled beside it, pulling it up to find yet another secret compartment in the floor. She hoped and prayed there was something useful inside of it. She felt around in the dark hole until her fingers came in contact with a solid object. Maneuvering herself to gain leverage, she was able to wrap her fingers around it. She pulled out a small leather-clad journal. It had gold stitching on the cover, an elegant "E". She concluded that it was Erica Posen's when she opened it, where the name was written on the inside of the cover in delicate handwriting. She flipped through the pages, and she wondered what she would find here. She thought of calling Aubrey, but with her heart racing and her father's letter clouding her mind, she kept reading alone. It was something like a diary, and it started with the date of June 9th, 1993. It talked about her meeting Mr. Posen, about their first dates, and about how much older she was though he didn't know it. She talked about how they had been recruited by John Galbraith and brought into his company after shaving their heads since women weren't able to fight in the Marines yet, especially with such high ranking. Erica, too, had been first lieutenant. It skipped from December of that year to February of 1998 when Aubrey was born. It spoke of her birth, how happy she was but how angry Mr. Posen was about it being a girl and not a boy. Beca's heart broke at that. Aubrey had always talked in passing about her father's constant discontent with his daughter, his relentless nagging and shameless insults towards her, more so once her mother had passed. Beca continued to read, and her breath hitched when she saw her father's name mentioned for the first time.

_"Cal and I went to see a movie tonight, and he begged for me to bring Bree along. He loves her too much. He came to see her when she was three days old, and he thought she was the most precious thing, compliments so much better than what her own father says. He held her for hours, singing to her, and she never cried. Bradley came the next day with him, and they gave her a bunch of gifts. They know she's going to be just like us, and it scares us all, but we can't help it. I would not even have had kids had _he_ not pushed me to do it. I would never wish this on anyone, and I know they're coming for me eventually. They're coming for all of us. Malcolm tried to reverse it, to make it so our kids could be normal, but there was no luck. Jep had a son, and the others either just had one or are expecting, and it's scary to think we'll pass on this disease to them. If only it didn't have to be this way. Cal worries for her more than he should."_

Beca now understood. They had tried to stop it, to keep their children from living that way. Maybe that was why her father was trying to get her to find the Posens, to help her, but it hadn't worked. He had to have known that.

She continued to read more about the encounters with her father as Aubrey's father was working more. It didn't seem that he had met her mother just yet, and that alarmed her. Her and Aubrey were only two years apart. Had she been an accident? She wouldn't be surprised since the shifters were trying to refrain from reproducing, to no such luck obviously. Then the passages became more vague and confusing. The craziest one was dated in 1998, and it was surprisingly only several months before Beca was born.

_"I don't know how this happened. It shouldn't have happened, but it did. Aubrey just turned two, and he was there. He's always been there. _HE_ was never there. He never cared to see her grow. He's been gone for three months now. He comes back next month, but then he leaves again for nine more, and he'll miss another birthday. I know he will, but I could never put this bearing on Cal. He is so kind and nurturing, and I am the loyal and trustworthy wife. I cannot leave. I must stay. It is for the good of our little girl..."_

Beca was even more confused now, and she didn't comprehend what was taking place there. Several more passages like this had her head spinning, and her mind was working overtime to decode it. She did not hear Aubrey making her way up the stairs. The blonde saw her captain slumped on the floor, and she silently crawled over to her, but what Beca was currently reading would not allow anything to break her concentration. It was dated on her birthday, and she could not believe it. She was sweating now, holding in a deep breath, and her body was near trembling. Aubrey gazed over her shoulder, reading along and nearly falling over.

_"She's so beautiful, and I know her father will give her the best life possible. He found someone who will love the both of them with all she has, and for that, I am grateful. I wish it could have been me, but I could never do that to the man who gave me a fresh start. My little girl and I will survive, but I will never forget my daughter. He wanted it too. He wanted to love the three of us, to give us a new life, but I cannot go. I have made my vows here, and I could not ever betray him more than I already have. She's so tiny, two months premature can really take away some size. I never considered it when the doctor said she would be, but she's strong. She's his. He is so much stronger than I for loving all three of us, and I never deserved him. _

_He named her Beca. Not Rebeca. Just Beca. He said it's more stylish. What a crazy man. Beca Faith Mitchell, because that's what we need. Faith that our children will be safe in this world, that they can lead a better life than we ever could, that they never have to shave their heads and pull on fatigues and pick up weapons, slaughtering strangers and staining their hands, their souls. I pray my little girl is taken care of, and I know she will be. She will never remember her sister and I, but I will never forget her. Maybe one day, her and Aubrey will find each other again, and they can do what we couldn't. They can live free of the burden of being what we are. Maybe they will love each other as he and I loved each other. Shifters always find each other, their other halves. Whatever happens, it is what is best for the both of them. He loves them both. He loves all three of us, but I cannot allow him to do that here. It pains him, kills him, but he will be strong for our little one, and one day, both of our girls will grow and find peace."_

With that, Beca slammed the book shut, and as she did, a photo fluttered out. She picked it up shakily, and she just about threw up everywhere when she saw it. Aubrey's face drained of color as she froze behind the captain. In the photo was Aubrey's mom sitting with a toddler in her lap and a very small infant in her arms. Standing above her was Cal Mitchell, Beca's father, smiling as his hand cradled her head. Two shifters, one child, Beca fucking Mitchell. Aubrey was gazing down at the bundle in her mother's arms with a smile, an infant she would see once and only once. Her sister. The one she had fought in battle with, rescued from an Iraqi Palace, fell in and out of love with but always loved regardless. Her sister, Beca. Beca had been oh so wrong. She vowed that her family, the Mitchells, did not keep First Family secrets. The fact of it was, the secrets, the lies were just about identical. The only difference? Her mother had been alive the entire time up on a hill with Aubrey. While Aubrey suffered the torment of never being good enough for Mr. Posen, Erica had been given the opportunity to rescue her from it, to have a real family where both Aubrey and Beca would have been loved, but her loyalty ironically kept her at the prestigious lawyer's side, but what the hell was loyalty after you cheated and hid a baby from him? She had the chance to give Aubrey a real home, a father who would have actually been present long enough to know her, to teach her and watch her grow as he done those first two years. Cal would have loved her as his own and never treated her any differently. She had denied her older daughter the joy of being good enough, and that was not okay.

For seven months, Aubrey's mother had carried Beca before the brunette was born prematurely and given off to her father never to be seen by Erica again. This could not be, but it was. The pieces came together; the unbreakable bond of sister shifters, the fact that Erica had passed on her gene to both girls, the unexplainable love between them, the unlikely pairing. It all made sense. They were bound by blood, and neither girl knew whether to be joyous or complete enraged. Aubrey settled for shock, but Beca went with the latter. She dropped the picture, jumping to her feet and down the ladder. Her comrades watched as she tore through the back door, throwing off her clothes as she went and taking her form in the frame before dashing down the hill behind the house. Chloe immediately sought out Aubrey, finding her stone still in the attic. She saw the picture and the journal lying there, but at first glance, it had not explained what had just happened to cause Beca to run. The others waited at the foot of the ladder as Chloe kneeled beside her best friend. Aubrey's eyes were now glazed over, tears threatening to spill as she kept them fixated dead ahead. She was the palest of whites aside from a slight shade of green in her cheeks. As the redhead drew closer, she could see the slight tremble of the blonde's body, her lips pursed. Chloe picked up the picture, inspecting it. She knew the two adults, instantly recalling them from the company picture. It was...oh, my. She looked back at up at her friend, and she could not believe what she was pretty sure had just been revealed. Her family wasn't the only one keeping secrets.

"Bree?" she called softly, taking the blonde's hand in hers.

"Sh-she's my-my sister, Chloe," she hissed, her eyes never wandering away from the spot directly in front of her. "Sh-she's my sister, and-and her dad loved us, all three of us, b-but my mom stayed. She-let him take Beca. Sh-she tore us apart."

"I'm sure she had a good reason, Bree."

"No better reason than my father's fuckin' reputation."

Anger instantly replaced shock, and she was on her feet fuming in a flash.

"That's my sister, Chloe, and _our _mother just ripped her heart out!" she screeched. "My heart out! Is that what it is? We weren't good enough for her to take us away! For her to stay with us, not with him! Beca's dad loved us both! Read that journal! I read one fuckin' entry, and I knew it! She could have saved us both, but she stayed for his fuckin' reputation when he was never there, and she tried to put on me! It was the best for me! That man drilled me, cut me down, made me feel so small, and when she died, she left me alone to battle it everyday, and I-I could have had a real family! I could have not been alone had she just said something before she died! I-I could have been loved!"

As she belted out the final word, she collapsed into Chloe's arm, her body shaking viciously with the onslaught of sobs and the agony that brought them forth. It tore Chloe's heart apart as it did those down below, listening to news that shattered everything their leaders had believed in all of their existence. Chloe felt a pang of guilt now. She had acted like a child being mad that her parents had lied to her, so that she didn't feel that they loved her any different. Evan and Clarissa had loved her, spoiled her, given her any and everything she desired, and she had been angry for them trying to give her the best life possible. She had hated them for trying _not _to tear her world apart with something even they didn't understand. Yet, here were Aubrey and Beca finding out they had been lied to out of sheer selfish inconvenience. Beca's mother had left her without a thought. Aubrey's mother had denied her a chance to actually be a child, to have a loving father and not a drill sergeant who was barely around to begin with, to have a sister to grow with. Where Erica was supposed to be strong due to what she was, she had showed the greatest sign of weakness in leaving her youngest daughter and allowing the elder to suffer at the hands of an ungrateful and heartless man. Chloe tried to find the bright side to it all. The fact was that even after all of that, they still had each other. They still had family. They were still there, and they had found each other when all hope was lost, and somehow their souls and that unbreakable bond of blood, no matter how much of an accident or mistake it was, had taught them to love one another fully and deeply despite their differences. That in itself was beautiful, and she had to make them see that.

It took more than an hour for Aubrey to at last calm down, and in that time, Jesse, Stacie and Amy had gone out in search of food. They headed up in the mountains around Barden, coming back with several deer that they cut up and prepared in the backyard over a fire pit. They had not yet seen Beca, but her scent remained close, so they gave her the space she desired. They were really to scared to approach the captain with the revelation that had just been laid out for them. However, it all made sense. They had always wondered how Beca and Aubrey had become so close, polar opposites who had started out constantly bickering and disagreeing. Even then though, they had similarities they were both oblivious too. They looked completely different, both taking fully after their fathers from their eyes to their bone structure and down to their attitudes. Their fathers had obviously been opposites too, and Erica had illustrated that in her journal, portraying Cal as kind-hearted, loving, open and understanding where her husband just seemed like the epitome of an self-centered asshole. Still, they had been able to work together until soon, they were just about inseparable up to the day Beca was whisked away. It had torn them apart to see Aubrey so broken that night, nearly rushing back and killing the sergeant that had snuck up on a woman who had just spent a year in a torture chamber. Still, they locked her away, and they had planned on forever. It was Aubrey who was forced to take the initiative and get her out, and she had done it for far more reasons than a mission. When she lost Luke and Chloe, she no longer had someone to hold onto, to distract her from the gaping hole in her heart she tried so desperately to conceal. She needed Beca. She needed her then, and she needed her now. She would always need her, and whether Beca admitted it or not, she would also always need the blonde. She would need her sister.

As the night grew darker and the rain became heavy, Chloe looked up at the clock. Beca had been gone for four hours. No one said a word when she stood from the table and headed for the back door, taking her clothes off as she went. As soon as she stepped onto the back patio, she phased, leaping down onto soft grass and taking in a whiff. She rushed off towards the scent of her other half, her eyes peeled for any disturbance or disruption. She could not only smell the brunette now. She could feel her. She knew she was getting close as a tingling feeling engulfed her, carrying her towards the captain she had so effortlessly fell for since the day they had met, maybe even long before that.

As the copper wolf neared a small pond, she could make out a small human figure resting against a laid down log. She phased into human form as she approached, the tingling feeling at its strongest. She gracefully leapt over the log and sat quietly beside the brunette. The rain masked the tears, but it could not hide the puffy red rims, and Chloe knew how deeply the brunette was hurting. They stayed silent for a long while, looking out over the pond as the rain crashed into the surface, the shower falling around them with thunder booming in the distance.

"You make it seem so bad to have Aubrey as your sister," Chloe at last whispered conspiratorially, and Beca couldn't help but snort a laugh.

"I guess it could be much worse," the brunette replied. "_You _could've been my sister."

"Yeah, I was scared for a bit there. That would've sucked, but it isn't like we can have inbred children, so it couldn't have been too bad."

"You are really horrible, Beale."

"What? Are you saying you could really walk away from all _this_ had we been sisters?"

"I plead the fifth."

"Exactly."

Chloe took this opportunity to scoot closer into the brunette, curling into her side and nuzzling into her neck. Beca smiled softly. Chloe slid her arm behind the captain, her fingers ghosting over the storied scars that lined her ivory skin. She had wanted to ask since she first noticed them in Nova Scotia but had thought better of it. She figured that they were the remnants of her time in a desert torture chamber, a gut feeling that was usually right when it came to Beca.

"You do realize we're naked, right?" she asked.

"Oh, please. You hugged Luke naked. Don't go all prude on me now."

"It's called chivalry."

"Look around us, Beca. The world is collapsing. The last thing you need to worry about is my dignity. Besides, we're a nudist colony. It's what we do."

Beca chuckled heartily once more. "Point taken."

She snaked an arm around Chloe's waist, kissing the top of her head.

"Are you okay?" Chloe asked.

Beca took in a deep breath. "I-I just-I can't believe that he lied about that. No, it isn't even that. I'm not even mad at my dad. He gave me a mother that really and truly loved me completely in every sense of the word even though I wasn't hers. I never would've guessed, but-Aubrey's mom, _our _mom, was so selfish. She protected the reputation and image of a man who could care less about her and Aubrey. We-we could have been a family. Now, I'm not saying that I regret my mother because we loved each other more than anything, but I mean, you've heard those stories about Aubrey's dad. He was the definition of a prick, and it hurt her, which in turn hurt me to my depths. I understand why now, how we became so close and all, but it's fucked up thinking my sister and I could've been together all of our lives. I could've protected her. I mean, the least she could have done was introduce us, let us be friends. It wasn't like that asshole was around a lot."

"I know, Becs, but that was her mistake. The point is that you guys found each other. You know, Aubrey really needs you right now because you're right. She got the shortest end of the stick. Her mother did what was best for that douchebag rather than her daughters, and your sister is up there in pain, not only because she missed the chance to be loved, but because she feels like her mother just tore _your _heart out."

"Yeah, I guess-I'm sorry I took off. It's what I do best. I either run away or I destroy things, and it was best I get away before I did something I regretted. I just needed time to process it. You know, back at my house, I found a letter from my dad. It told me to find Aubrey and her mom. It told me there was a secret we had to find. I thought he just meant the phasing, but no. It was this. I almost missed that journal too. Honestly, Aubrey and I probably would have been better off not finding it all. So it explains my powers. Big deal. They're there."

"Yeah, but we read the rest of it, Becs. Malcolm, my-dad, was trying to reverse it all. He was trying to save all of us."

"Yeah, I read that."

"But Galbraith was working with Castro from the start in Cuba, and he had a base there before America had their standoff with them. It's Cuba though. We knows it's there, but we can get some rest, and tomorrow we can think up a plan. You need your sleep though, Captain, but first you need to talk to your big sister." She paused a moment. "Awww, that's so cute!"

"Oh, hush up, Beale."

"But that means she'll be my sister too, so we'll all be stuck together forever."

"Pretty sure we already are."

"You always make the best things sound like the worst!"

"Sorry, I get it from my pessimistic big sister."

Chloe slapped her thigh with a pout, and Beca chuckled, leaning down and pressing light kisses to her forehead. Chloe giggled at the contact. They returned to gazing out at the water, holding each other close, their legs tangled together now. Beca gave a content sigh.

"_I love you, Chloe Beale_," she thought to herself.

"_I love you too,"_ Chloe thought back...wait. What?

Beca tensed up, looking over at the girl in her arms. Chloe's eyes were wide too as she glanced up. They locked eyes for a moment, both girls flushed red in the cheeks.

"I-I didn't-did I-say that out loud?" Beca stammered. "No, I definitely didn't say that out loud."

"Neither did I," Chloe gasped. "Wait, try it again."

_"Can you-hear me?" _Beca thought, a skeptical look on her face.

Chloe beamed. _"Loud and clear, Cap."_

_"Wow, this is super freaky. We can-communicate while we're humans."_

_"I told you it's a wolf thing. Or a soulmate thing. One or the other."_

Beca laughed. _"Forever the cheese ball, Beale."_

The redhead's smile widened._ "So...did you mean it?"_

_"Mean what?" _The redhead gave her a pointed look, and she smiled weakly. _"Yes. I did. I love you, Chloe. I don't know how or why, but it feels like you've been missing all of this time, and I love you."_

_"I love you too, and I feel exactly the same."_

_"So original!"_

Beca rolled her eyes just as she was tackled to the ground. Chloe hovered above her with a pearly white grin. Beca was both overheating and shivering at the contact, the intense pressure and friction being caused in this position. Chloe didn't seem to care. She leaned down, capturing the brunette's lips in a kiss. It had been years since Beca had felt this sort of sensual touch whereas Chloe had never felt it before. Beca flipped them so that she was atop the redhead now. Steel blue eyes met beaming cerulean. Suddenly, Beca stood, pulling Chloe up with her and into her arms.

"Chivalry isn't dead," she whispered, kissing her forehead softly.

"But this is so romantic," Chloe replied, moving soaking wet hair from the captain's face.

Their lips fused together once more, Chloe wrapping her arms around the brunette's neck. Beca ran her hands down the redhead's side gradually before cupping her thighs and hoisting her, Chloe reacting by wrapping her legs around her waist.

"Have you ever?" Beca breathed, their foreheads resting against one another, and Chloe shook her head slowly though not showing any fear. "Then your first time won't be outside beside a lake, animal or not."

"But the rain..." Chloe pouted.

Beca chuckled. "Nice try, but...no. Come On."

With that, Beca rotated Chloe so that she was latched to the captain's back. In a few seconds, the wolf had appeared below the redhead, but she held on as they raced towards the house. Chloe looked down at the massive animal below her, and she smiled. For being such a storied and cold-hearted captain as rumors would say, she was pretty tender for those she cared about, and Chloe was beyond happy to be one of those people exposed to that side of the legendary Beca Mitchell. She buried her face in the wolf's fur as they bounded up the hill. They came to a stop before the back porch where Beca bowed to let Chloe down. As Chloe stepped on the porch, the captain joined her before shaking out her fur furiously. Chloe laughed, blocking her face from the flying drops. Beca then phased and, hands clasped together, they entered the home. There was a plate on the table, and Cynthia Rose, Jesse and Amy sat there talking. Cynthia Rose looked up at Beca then pointed at the plate.

"Where's Aubrey?" Beca asked after acknowledging the meal.

"Upstairs, on the balcony," Jesse informed her.

She nodded then gave Chloe a chaste kiss before pulling on her clothes by the door and heading up the stairs. She made her way down the hall towards the master bedroom where the door within opened up to the balcony. She let herself inside and closed the door. She opened up the glass door to the balcony, and Aubrey stood at the railing overlooking the hills and trees. When she turned to find Beca there, she rushed into the captain's arms after just a split second, and Beca caught her. Fresh tears cascaded down the blonde's face, and even Beca struggled to restrain her own. She rubbed the blonde's back lovingly, kissing her temple but not speaking yet. Beca pulled her away slightly before digging into her pocket and extracting the note from her father. She unfolded it and placed it into Aubrey's shaky hands. The blonde read it slowly once then again. After a third time, she fell back into her sister's arms.

"I'm so sorry, Becs," Aubrey choked, her face buried in the brunette's neck.

"Hey, you don't need to be sorry," Beca replied softly. "You were the perfect big sister, and I was a great little sister. We annoyed the shit out of each other for two years and made up for it."

Aubrey chuckled at that through her tears. "B-but you know what I mean, Becs. I never knew, and I didn't-"

"Aubrey, I know you didn't know. They hid it from both of us. If anything, I should be sorry. I left. My father left you, and I know it's what our mother wanted, but he should've fought for both of us. _She _should've fought. I'm sorry that I left you alone."

"I just-what would it be like had we stayed a family?"

"Well, you probably wouldn't be so uptight."

Aubrey straightened and swatted her sister's arm now, and Beca chuckled. "For serious, Becs!"

"I'm being serious. No, I don't know, but you know what, Bree? You were my sister long before today, and you will be long after today. I love you, and I always will."

"I thought I already used that 'love' card."

Beca grinned, a genuine one that was rarely seen on her human form. "Well, we refreshed it after you officially became my sister. Last one, I swear."

"Yeah, sure."

"But Bree, we have each other. Our parents are gone, but we're here, and we're together. That's all that matters. We're gonna finish this, so you can be president, and you and Luke can give me nieces and nephews that Chloe can teach to sing and I can teach the badass stuff too, and then Chloe and I will live forever or some shit because your kids can't shift as long as I'm alive."

Aubrey gave an authentic hearty laugh now as Beca beamed. "How the hell are we related?"

"Great, now come the relative jokes. Add that to your repertoire, Posen."

The two hugged again before Aubrey ruffled the shorter woman's hair to Beca's chagrin, and she swatted Aubrey's hand away as the blonde laughed.

"I owe you that, little sister," she cooed.

"You can keep it."

Aubrey smiled. "Come on. Let's get you fed."

"There is one other thing you owe me as a big sister," Beca said deviously as Aubrey turned and walked out of the room.

"What's that?" the blonde asked over her shoulder.

She heard no answer right away, just quick feet approaching before she was thrown forward slightly, nearly losing her balance. Arms and legs were now wrapped around her frame.

"Piggyback ride!" Beca squealed.

"What are you? Five?" Aubrey asked though failing at hiding a smile.

"You owe me, Posen. Now giddy-up!"

It was a sight to see for the entire company as their two fearless leaders descended the staircase, the smaller captain mounted on the taller lieutenant's back. Jesse and Amy were in shock as Beca squealed and threw a hand up like a bull rider. Chloe chuckled lightly, and Stacie was quick to snap pictures with the webcam on Cynthia Rose's laptop as her phone was dead. It was a sight that was much needed at that point when all were beyond discouraged and wary. Beca's smile lit up a room. It always had. Though her lopsided wolf grin always brightened her team, it was the rare genuine grin of happiness on her human form that came like a shooting star and made anything possible. Aubrey's smile was the same. Few and far between but nonetheless powerful when it did arrive. Now, both of these smiles were present, and it was impossible for the rest of their team not to mimic it. Their captain was their strength, their lieutenant their will. They all played a part, and only they would understand that this company was not just about being an over-sized animal or fearless marines but being best friends, being family when they had no one else. They took care of each other, and a silent vow was made that night. No matter what happened, they would never leave one another again. It was their destiny as it had been their parents' destiny to look over each other. Their parents had gradually failed. They would not, and they trusted in Beca to make sure of that.


	10. What We Left Behind

**_A/N: So lets get in some fluff for the whole family around here. I just added in a bit of Bechloe 'first time' for reality's sake. Last time I promise. I hate doing it but the fans asked so. Anyway, we have some big changes but also the makings of happy fresh starts and we follow our company as they come up with a plan to save the country!_**

_White walls. White sheets. White floors. White gown. White skin. _

_Dark soul. Dark thoughts. Dark memories. Dark past. Dark eyes._

_She sat still, Dr. Embry watching her intently. She wasn't rocking back and forth like other patients did. She didn't shiver or shake. She wasn't mumbling to herself or ripping her hair out. Aside from the mutism, you would think she was completely fine. She didn't speak. How could she? Dr. Embry had worked with many Marines in the aftermath of a traumatic tour. How had it gone wrong? She was victorious. She didn't watch her company die around her. She brought each and every Marine that entered that palace home that day with smiles on their faces, but there was a difference. For a year, she had been trapped in the clutches of the most brutal and disgusting dictatorship the world had ever seen, and no one knew exactly what she had endured during that time. How could they? She wouldn't speak._

_Dr. Embry went by the markings. The endless pink scars lining her back. The long scar that stretched from her left temple over her eye to just above her lip. The eye had changed color for a long time, the blue vacating it and leaving only a dead steel grey. Eventually, the color returned, but the doctor of forty years could not explain such an event. He didn't try. There was too much he didn't understand about this marine. She was always hot, as if running a very serious fever, yet she wasn't bothered at all by it. Her temperature read a normal number. She only sweat when she was encased by night terrors, and those sweats were always ice cold. She wasn't red in the face. She was completely fine externally, but a storm brewed within, one that she knew she would have to overcome on her own because no one could ever understand the life she lived, no one except her company, and they had been torn away from her._

_The letters came from the White House. Aubrey wrote her everyday long after she lost hope for a reply. Beca received them, but the orderlies were on strict orders to not accept a reply. Beca kept them however until the third year. The staff became enraged that she wouldn't speak, calling her childish and incoherent. She had attacked the nurse then, nearly killing the young woman, and it took all of her strength to hold her grip on the beast that threatened to burst forth. They threw her in a solitary cell in the depths of Barden's basement, tossing her letters away and no longer delivering Aubrey's new letters. Visitors came. Cynthia Rose, Amy, and Stacie were turned away many times, Jesse even more so. Aubrey tried multiple times, even asked the President himself for help, but there was nothing to be done. It was only because Evan knew what was to happen, but that information would not make itself known for two more years._

_So she sat still, Dr. Embry watching her intently, not rocking back and forth. Not shivering or shaking. Not mumbling to herself or ripping her hair out. She simply existed, numb to everything around her and losing all hope in ever seeing the people she regretfully loved more than anything again._

* * *

"Do you think it's safe to stay here tonight?" Aubrey asked.

"I haven't smelled a demon since we left Athens," Beca replied.

"What do you think it is?"

"The air," Benji returned. "I can smell it. It's a chemical substance polluting the air, but I can't put a finger on what exactly it is."

"You think it does more damage to them than we think? Think about it. Even if they can't smell us, they would have at least come here. Someone had to know where we were from. I mean, Galbraith knew our parents."

"Yeah, but Galbraith obviously isn't telling his minions everything otherwise they would know what we are."

"Well, let's get some rest. We regroup in the morning. No more work talk 'til then."

Beca stood from her seat at the table, Chloe following, and both kissed Aubrey's forehead. Jesse, Amy, Stacie and Denise had returned with several mattresses from a house down the road to Beca's amused chiding. She then proceeded to call the therapeutic mattress, and no one argued. Chloe and her retired to one of the rooms upstairs where they had stationed the mattress for the captain, Beca shutting the door. The redhead flopped back onto the bed, pulling Beca down with her.

"I really missed this place," Chloe sighed.

Beca scoffed. "How could you miss this black hole?"

"I guess it was just a lot quieter and relaxing than DC or anywhere else. I had a real life here at a real school with real friends. I'm just glad I got the best part back."

"Stop being so cheesy, Clifford."

"Stop being so negative, Uncle Scar."

"He was a lion."

"Your point?"

_"You are so going to be the death me, Beale," _Beca thought.

"You forget I can hear you all the time now."

"No, I meant for you to hear that." Chloe swatted her arm.

Beca jerked the taller woman onto her, their eyes locking. Melding their lips together, Beca gripped a hand of fiery red curls. Her heart raced as she felt everything melt away once more. If she prevailed for anything, it would be for Chloe, for her family, for the one thing she had tried so desperately to distance herself from since her parents died-love.

Chloe brought her hands to Beca's neck, pulling her impossibly closer as steam emanated from their bodies. Clothes were shed. Heat was intensified. Lips found one another over and over as they solidified their bond, knowing that tomorrow may never come. Beca was slow and gentle, her hands caressing every inch of the woman now beneath her. She created a trail of light kisses along her jawline then her neck then her chest. Chloe allowed her control, taking everything with slow, even breaths. The captain reached her center, licking and kissing as a breathy moan escaped the redhead. Though Beca wanted her first time to be tender and loving, a beast lay within that was slowly losing control. Chloe felt it too as the room fell beneath the haze of steam. Her vision was blurry as she fought to stay human, but the thirst for her lover overwhelmed her. Soon she was gripping chocolate tresses with such desperation that Beca raced back up, their lips colliding as their tongues fought for dominance. Beca's hand fell between them, entering Chloe with a gasp then a stifled moan as Chloe bit down on the tender skin of Beca's neck. The thrusts were rough yet passionate, longing yet loving as the beast within took control. Beca only gained speed as Chloe attempted to control herself, her nails clawing the brunette's back, undeniably drawing blood and fresh wounds. Beca sunk her teeth into Chloe's pulse point, eliciting a sharp intake of breath and a throaty moan. More clawing. More biting. More thrusting, Chloe's legs wound tightly around the captain's waist, creating friction along each woman's center until at last, they reached the heights of passion and pleasure in synchronization. Beca collapsed atop the redhead, Chloe holding her tightly. The beast relaxed once more. Beca rolled over, pulling Chloe into her side as the redhead lay tender kisses along her neck.

"_I love you," _the redhead thought.

_"And I love you," _Beca returned before allowing sleep to envelope them into a warm embrace.

The company indulged themselves in a very comfortable sleep that night and on through the morning, feeling safe for the first time in a very long time, content. After a lean breakfast and Amy able to make coffee, which no one asked about for fear of the answer, the team assembled at the table to deliberate on a plan. Beca sat at the head.

"We have to go there, don't we?" Jesse asked.

"Recon mission!" Amy cheered.

"I'm not so sure about that yet," Beca replied.

"Well, we can't just wait it out up here."

"Yeah, but we can't go down there and fight them all either. There was to be another way to take them all out. They have to have a weakness."

"Well, you said that maybe the chemicals effect them more than we think. Maybe that's it."

"It's still too vague. We have to know which chemicals do what before we run in their with bug spray and hope for victory," Cynthia Rose pointed out. "We've never run into the same chemical twice. We need more information before-"

Before Cynthia Rose could finish her sentence, there was a deafening knock on the door. The team looked around at each other as silence fell again, shortly followed by another loud bang.

"If it's a demon, they wouldn't be knocking," Aubrey hissed.

"Who the hell else would be here?"

Beca stood up, Jesse close behind her. Cynthia Rose and Lily stripped down and phased, staying within boundaries of the kitchen however. Beca gripped the handle of the door, Jesse stepping to her side, and she jerked it open. Before her stood four men carrying an unconscious Luke between them. They were in tattered white dress shirts, loose black ties and black slacks. Their heads were bald, but each had a rather thick beard growing. They smelled human, sweat and wildlife all over them. They each had a pistol at the hip, and the man at the back carried three duffle bags, a shotgun slung over his shoulder. Beca looked over their shoulders, getting up on the tip of her toes to do so. They had arrived in a slick black SUV covered in mud. She looked back at the man closest to her, but before she could ask any questions, Aubrey rushed forth and embraced the man. He chuckled, patting the blonde's back.

"James!" she gasped. "You're okay!"

"Well, I'm alive," he sighed. "I can say that much."

"Wh-what happened to Luke?"

"Can we talk inside?"

"Yes, of course. Come in."

James and his comrades gently laid Luke on one of the mattresses in the living room, Benji checking him over while Aubrey led the agents into the kitchen. She offered them some folding chairs the team had gathered, and they took them. Beca resumed her seat at head of the table, and all eyes were on the newcomers.

"We came from Texas," he started with a deep sigh. "Those-things were everywhere. They had us pinned inside the place, but before the lab caught fire and everything was destroyed, another one of those containers, the chemical containers outside the laboratories, exploded. You should've seen it. That stuff was everywhere, and we had to put on gas masks, but the moment that stuff was in the air and all over the place, these things started to just, disintegrate. They just, melted away, and we were able to escape before the whole place went down."

"What chemicals were they using down there?" the captain now asked.

"Well, I-hold on. Mack." One of his partners slid him a duffle bag, and he opened it up, withdrawing a small vial which Benji took when he returned from the living room and a folder. "There's a bunch of stuff in here, but from what we understand, they were building bombs down there awhile back, and that waste has just been sitting there since."

Beca took the folder, Benji now beside her, and scanned through the documents. "Iridium. Uranium. Plutonium. They weren't just building any bombs."

"They were nuclear," Benji finished.

"But how can that be?" Ashley asked. "We went down there, and they had nothing of the sort."

"It-says here that the 'prototypes' as well as finalized products were tested and harbored at Area 51 in Nevada."

"Well that would explain what the hell happened to Vegas," Jesse sighed.

"But there were no bombs there," Aubrey reminded them. "We were just there."

The group was silent for a moment, stilling at yet another dead end and pondering another solution to go with. It had become routine at this point.

"Wait," Chloe finally said. "Beca, you said that the Area 51 site was moved when people were complaining about the smell, but if they tested it in Vegas, it would have to be closer. Luke was underground at the time, but he said the demons came, right? Yet, there were none when we came back. They would have stayed close. Their scent would have been stronger, and they wouldn't have left so quickly anyway. The bomb dropped though, and that's what destroyed the base and any demons close enough, not them. Luke used the demons in his story to cover himself. He was being controlled by them, and he was leading them to us. They were probably waiting for us too, but they dropped a bomb and destroyed them. It wasn't you that brought him back. When we opened the door, the scent of those chemicals got in and made him better. It didn't destroy him because he's not completely one of them, but it made him better."

"So the bombs are at the old base."

"It would make the most sense."

"Well, that would be the perfect cure for America's newfound cancer," Amy huffed.

Suddenly something struck Benji. "Hey, cancer. That's it."

"Cancer is...it?" Amy asked.

"It's like a cancer. The chemicals took them out. Now, too much radiation can definitely kill you, but if we were to use radiation treatment on Luke the way they do with cancer patients, we may be able to bring him back. Like Chloe said, the chemicals affected him too when we opened the door, but if we can give him the correct dosage, we may be able to bring him back permanently."

"Wait, how did you guys find Luke anyway?" Aubrey now asked.

"By accident really," James scoffed then chuckled. "We were coming this way, heading east, because we were going to check the base in Atlanta. We were trying to find a phone to use to call up the base before coming, and he sort of found us, I guess. He came running for the car, and we picked him up. I told him what happened down in Waco, and he said we needed to find you guys. He gave me the address, but as soon as we got into Georgia, he started freaking out, so we sedated him until we got here. I don't know what's wrong with him."

"Long story short?" Benji answered. "He was put in the same treatment that made those demons, but he fought it. It still messes with him though. Regardless, if we can work this theory on Luke, I can be sure that the radiation from a bomb would either cure or kill everyone across a very large span of land like, I don't know, Cuba?"

"We would still have to go down there," Cynthia Rose interjected. "We can't just bomb the place on a hunch. I know we're all sure it's Cuba, but we have to be completely positive."

"What are you guys talking about?" Mack asked.

"Those 'things', the demons, are being made in Cuba, or so we think," Aubrey explained. "It's all too much information for us to explain fully to you, but just trust us."

Beca now dropped in. "Look, if they have bombs at the old Area 51 site, they probably have a lot of other stuff too, but we have to try and fix Luke first. He's only safe here. He'll start acting up the moment we're outside of Barden. Benji, what would you need?"

"Not any equipment that I have. We would need a hospital."

Everyone looked around at one another once more. "You think Barden hospital still has some stuff?" Stacie questioned. "I mean, it seems like everyone else left in a hurry."

"Yeah, I saw that," James sighed. "This place is dead."

"Well, it's worth a shot," Beca sighed, standing. "Let's get to that hospital."

"James, feel free to rest here," Aubrey informed the man.

"Oh, thanks so much, Aubrey," James sighed in relief. "We haven't slept in days. Those things were everywhere, like I said, and we were too scared to stop."

"Yeah, I understand. We'll be back soon."

With that, Jesse and Benji carried Luke out to the car, Aubrey as close as possible to them, and they piled into their two vehicles. The sky was overcast, a storm no doubt brewing. Thunder rocked the surrounding area, lighting up the mountains through thick fog. As soon as they were in the car and pulling out, the rain began, growing stronger by the second. Benji led them down the familiar streets once more towards Barden University Medical Center.

"So, why do you think that everyone left?" Beca asked Benji as he drove, Aubrey, Luke and Chloe in the back seat.

"I think that they all watched what happened to Atlanta and Athens, and they wanted to get out before it happened to them," Benji replied. "They didn't know they were being saved by the air pollution here. That, I think, is our parents' fault. I think their lab had a lot of chemical build-up. When it exploded, it let a lot of that into the air, but then they had the factories and the new labs built over it right away, so the air never had a chance to clean itself, and it does look like the new lab's chemical waste caught flame too recently."

"You think it would affect us?"

"Well, it hasn't. I think that it isn't in a significant dosage to harm humans much less us, but those things could probably be deeply affected. I mean, obviously, if what James said is true."

"Well, do you think that if we gave them a smaller dosage of radiation, it would cure them too?"

"That's what I'm thinking, but I can't be sure. Like I said, trying this on Luke will give me an idea of whether or not it will work."

"Why don't-we just go get one?" Chloe asked.

Aubrey and Beca gave her a wide-eyed look. "Get-what?" Beca asked.

"One of those things? To test it?"

"Chloe, you can't be serious!" Aubrey squealed.

"Well, we have to know. We can't just go into this blind. What if we're able to save someone? Think this, even if we can stop the manufacturing of them, that doesn't mean the ones already here in the country will just disappear, and you can't possibly be thinking of bombing America, can you?"

"How else could we stop them? We don't have a military, anymore."

"Then we get one."

"How-"

"Okay, let's hold off on that for now," Benji cut in. "As far as Operation: Acquire a Demon, I think Chloe's right. It would make things a lot easier knowing and understanding. I mean, we're working with highly flammable chemicals and very dangerous bombs. We can't play blind with this stuff. If it works, we can at least get some information out of him."

"Okay," Beca sighed. "We'll check out the hospital then I'll take a group out hunting for your damn demon, Applebaum."

Benji grinned at his captain as they pulled into the hospital parking lot. The building was deserted for sure, but it still remained a great structure, one of Barden's most prestigious buildings aside from the university itself. They parked at the emergency exit, Jesse pulling up behind them, and Benji slung Luke over his shoulder easily. They stepped to the doors, and they were happy to find it slide open, indicating the electricity was still on in the building and saving the time Benji would have needed to search the basement for a generator. They walked inside and headed for the cancer treatment wing, a place Benji had gone to with his mother many times in his younger years. He found the room where the treatments were usually done, grinning when the equipment remained. He sat Luke down in the chair and began sorting through the equipment while Beca turned to the rest of their company.

"Okay, I need a group to go hunt a demon with," she sighed nonchalantly.

"I'm staying with Luke," Aubrey informed them, and Beca nodded.

Cynthia Rose, Jesse, and Chloe volunteered themselves for the new mission at hand, and it was exactly the crew Beca expected.

"Okay, how are we going to get one?" Jesse asked.

Benji turned now. "Here." He tossed Beca a small pouch. "See if the tranquilizers will work. There are five in there. You may need them all, but they should work."

Beca nodded. "And if they don't?" Amy asked.

"We drag him back," Beca replied nonchalantly. "If anything, we can bind him or chew off his limbs because that obviously doesn't kill him, and drag him back."

"You're crazy, Captain," Jesse chuckled.

"So I've been told," she returned with a smirk.

As Benji hooked Luke up to an IV and a few other machines, Beca let him know they were off, kissing her sister's forehead before leading her team back to the front lobby of the ER entrance. The storm was raging down now, blanketing the city in a dense shower as thunder and lightning continued around them.

"You guys good to run?" the captain asked, gazing out at the storm. "No one's gonna see us in all of this, you know, and we're headed to Atlanta. Easier to find one there. The smell was horrendous."

The others nodded their approval and began taking off their clothes quickly, Beca securing the pouch of tranquilizers to her ankle. Once they were bare, Beca led them out at a run, phasing as she stepped over the threshold of the entrance. It was about an hour's drive north to Atlanta, but they were there in under half an hour at top speed, and the demon smell instantly engulfed them. They reached Decatur, and the storm made it hard to see, but Beca followed a specific smell down the streets. The places around them were ransacked and completely destroyed. Once great buildings were nothing but rubble, and the streets were muddy as the drainage systems were clogged. Silence fell around them, not a living soul making its presence known. Beca continued on the trail of the smell however, and it became stronger with each step. Night had fallen by now, and there was not a streetlight on. For a human eye, it would be pitch black. For the team, they still had impressive vision. She wondered how well those silver eyes worked under such conditions.

As they passed what looked like a small cafe, the smell became nearly unbearable, and Beca halted as she heard a sound from within the building. Her team let her know they had indeed heard it too, and she peered through the shattered window. There seemed to be a candle or some sort of flame flickering within the kitchen area, casting shadows upon the side wall. Beca gracefully hurdled through the window, landing in her human form and cautiously approaching the light. She rounded the counter before hiding against the wall that separated her from the source of illumination and whoever was using it.

"Wait, do you smell that?" a voice came, and sniffs could then be heard.

"They're here," one hissed. "The marines, and they're close."

Beca quickly gripped the pouch from her leg, unraveling it and taking two of the readied shots in each hand, poised to strike and empty. Cynthia Rose and Chloe leapt through the window, standing still in the shadows as they heard chairs move. The shadows of three tall figures were now projected on the wall. Beca gave her team a nod as Jesse took the shape of a wolf, jumping through the window and landing softly between Cynthia and Chloe.

"I'll check it out," another voice came.

A sigh was followed by heavy footsteps, and a man came around the corner of the wall. Beca held her breath. As he passed her, sniffing, she darted forth, jumping and stabbing all four needles into his neck, pressing down and releasing the liquid within. The man gave a pained roar, and as his two companions rushed out to see what the commotion was, Beca took the man down, allowing Chloe and Jesse to hurdle over them and take out the other two demons. Beca knew more would come however the moment that death alert beep went off. The man below her had slowed, and he was fighting back, but he wasn't completely knocked out yet. Jesse had phased into a human, looking through the kitchen for any type of restraints. He found two extension cords and rushed back to them as Beca stabbed him with the fifth needle.

"Saddle me up," Beca instructed him. "Lay him on his back on top of me."

With that, she phased, and Jesse hoisted up the demon. "This was way too easy," he sighed as the demon made a weak attempt at swinging at him. Cynthia Rose phased and helped him to bound the demon to their captain's back. As they did, Chloe let out a low howl. They looked up to see a party of demons approaching from across the street. Cynthia Rose and Jesse sped up their actions, but the first few were inside with them in a flash. Chloe took the first one, mauling him to the ground and tearing his head clean off his shoulders. One tried to wrap her up in their signature hold that could easily crack a spine or break bones. Chloe was strong however just as all the shifters had been during their first year out. Their power had been bottled up so long, and they were at their strongest in the first year.

Chloe ripped away from the hold, whipping her head back and sinking teeth into the neck of the man before dismembering him as well. Cynthia Rose barreled through the third one, tossing him up in the air where Chloe caught his head between her teeth, shaking her own head viciously until he was beheaded. When Jesse had secured the demon, he phased, but not before six more entered. Jesse urged Beca to get out of there, but she refused, pouncing into the fight and helping her comrades create an exit through the oncoming demons. When the window was clear, she leapt out of it, Chloe following after tossing one of the demons and knocking down a few others. Jesse swatted many away, and they quickly went after their captain. They could now see various groups of their enemies descending down on the cafe, and as they exited, multiple shots rang out. Beca didn't waste a moment. She hit top speed, zooming down the road and pushing herself to her limits with her team close behind her. Chloe was at her side. Demons followed, and they were fast, but they weren't fast enough. The one on her back was still groaning, but he was still, and that was all that she could ask for.

"We really gotta think up better plans," Cynthia Rose chuckled.

"Yeah, that was a bit spontaneous," Chloe agreed.

"Cap's middle name is spontaneous," Jesse informed her with a laugh.

"Watch it, brother bear," Beca snapped.

"Am I wrong?"

"Never said that."

They reached the hospital shortly thereafter, racing back to the cancer ward. Jesse, Cynthia and Chloe phased first to remove the demon from their captain's back. Their company was quite impressed, and Amy had high fives going around.

"Jeez, Cap, you're just as good as the crocodile hunter!" she hollared. "You know, the poor soul was my godfather, but he taught me crocodile jump rope."

Everyone laughed as Benji walked over to pat the captain's side. When he did and withdrew his hand, he found it covered in blood. He looked back at the wolf's side where a large patch of fur was matted in the thick red liquid. He touched it gently, and Beca whined.

"Beca, I need you to phase now," he directed. "Jesse, roll that bed over."

Beca did as she was told the moment Cynthia Rose lifted the demon off of her and laid on the bed, Chloe now at her side.

"What's wrong?" Chloe asked Benji as he brought over his bag and pulled out tweezers.

"Woman of steel here didn't realize she had been shot," he informed her with a smirk.

"Eh, it's not so bad," Beca returned, her eyes closed as the redhead took her hand. "How is Luke doing?"

"I'm doing just fine, Cap," a familiar voice responded. "Better than you, it looks like."

Beca's eyes popped open, tilting her head to find Luke still in the chair she had left him in but wide awake and smiling.

"Hey, Mate," she greeted with a warm grin. "I'm glad to have you back."

"I'm glad to be back. I'm feeling a lot better, but I hope this really does work."

"So do we."

As Benji extracted the bullet through the already healing tissue, Beca winced. It was a shallow hit, and he patched it up quickly before turning his attention to the groaning monster now lying on another bed. He readied another chair and area for more radiation therapy before taking the demon and sitting him beside Luke, who gave it a disgusted look. It's eyes were closed, but its mouth hung agape, limbs flailing weakly without threat around him, still wrapped in extension cord. As Benji hooked up the demon, Beca and Chloe dressed when Jesse returned with their clothes.

"Come on," Chloe hissed, taking the brunette's hand. "Let's go walk this off."

Beca did not fight her on it, instead following her out into the hall and down the dimly lit corridor.

"You really gotta stop hurting yourself, Mitchell," Chloe warned, bumping their shoulders together.

"It comes with the territory," Beca smirked. "Don't expect much else, Beale. I'm tough though. It'll take a lot more than that. I guarantee it."

"Yeah, well at least you'll have a whole collection of scars to write stories about and tell our kids for many years to come."

Beca suddenly pushed the taller woman against the wall, pinning her hands above her head. Chloe gave her a sly smile.

"Kids, huh?" Beca asked.

"Yeah, once we put this country back together," she replied, not at all shy.

"Is that really what you want though? To hand over this-life to our kids? They'll be strong but not as strong as us with only one shifter carrying them."

"We can always adopt. I'm sure we'll find many kids that will need homes when this is over."

"You're ambitious, Beale."

"And you're not?"

"Touche."

With that, Beca pressed her lips to Chloe's in a bruising kiss, the redhead pulling her in by her neck. When they at last separated, their eyes met.

"I promise to give you a future if it's the last thing I do," Beca hissed.

"But it won't be because there's no future without you," Chloe replied.

Beca bypassed any snide comment she had considered in that moment and instead met Chloe's lips again softly, giving over every part of her heart to the woman before her. Beca pulled away this time, taking the redhead's hand in her own.

"You wanna go somewhere with me?" she asked.

"I'll go anywhere with you," Chloe replied.

"Okay, sorry, but CHEESE OVERLOAD!" Chloe swatted a chuckling Beca. "It was too much."

"Yeah, yeah. Where are we going?"  
"Come on."  
Beca looked back towards the room the others occupied before turning and heading towards the front entrance. When they reached the lobby, she began to strip once more, and Chloe followed without hesitation or question. Beca stepped out into the rain, blurring slightly before being replaced with the wolf. Chloe followed shortly after, copper fur surrounding her vivid blue eyes. The captain broke into a swift run, Chloe's nose level with her shoulder as she followed. When she turned, Chloe turned with her. They moved as one through the streets, navigating through rain and fog. Beca knew where she was going although she had only seen the place in passing. She had never actually stepped foot inside. She had only been prompted to once, and she had run before she ever had the chance to. They came beside a stone wall, and Beca slowed before a tall stone arch above them. Chloe looked up, reading the words engraved in the stone. "Barden Cemetery". Beca trotted through the opening, the large iron-wrought gates blown open by the wind at some point. She glanced around at the head stones, and one caught her eye in the fifth row back. She glanced down the row, and it was lined with tattered American Flags somehow holding onto the ground despite the storm as they whipped in the wind. The first one read "Thomas Reginald Richards." Beside that was Jessica's mother. They moved along the row, finding the names of each of their comrade's parents. Each family plot was separated by a cement lining, enough room for both parents then their children. All of them had been only children aside from Beca and Aubrey, and Beca's breath caught when she saw the way their plots were laid out. Erica Rene Posen was flanked by Liam Cal Mitchell and Jonathan Gale Posen. Cal was flanked on the opposite side of Erica by Diane Rosalie Mitchell. The two plots, separated by the same strip of cement as the others, were wide enough for at least four more graves right above Cal and Erica, and Beca didn't know if she wanted to smile or cry. She let out a pained howl, tilting her head up towards the sky. It seemed that the rain only descended harder at the sound, almost as if her parents were crying above her. Chloe nuzzled her neck lovingly before the red wolf trotted down just past the Posen plot, greeted with something she had definitely not expected. Malcolm Lee Daughtry and Abigail Willis-Daughtry were buried there, not in Athens, but there in Barden beside their friends with a tiny American flag beside Malcolm's tombstone. It made sense though seeing as Malcolm had worked at the Barden labs. Beca came up beside her, eyes widening at what she saw now. Their parents had all been buried together, honored together.

Beca curled up in the grass above her father's plot, and Chloe nuzzled into her side.

"They all loved each other," Beca whispered in her mind.

"Yes, they did," Chloe agreed. "The way that we love each other, just not as much."

"I just wonder how much they really tried to protect one another. It seemed like they were using each other more than anything with the research, and then my mother used my father for a warm bed while her husband was gone."

"Maybe they did, Beca, but they were trying to understand. We're not trying to understand why we're this way. We only sought to understand our pasts in order to move on from it, not obsess over it. That was their downfall. Galbraith came after them, and they were divided. We're not, and the way I see it, we're one step ahead of him."

"Yeah, I guess that's true. You always know how to remove my head from my ass, huh?"

Chloe giggled. "It's in the job description, Babe." They were silent another few moments. "So...how did you guys find me anyway? How did you know I was a shifter?"

"Your eyes. They were-like ours. They're much brighter than any other color, like fresh paint with a gloss finish. The depths of them tell that there's a story behind them. Then, I found your journals. The entries you wrote, although you weren't supposed to." Her voice loudened at the last part, and Chloe ducked her head into Beca's fur with a giggle.

"I know, and I'm sorry. I didn't understand the danger until after."

"Yeah, but even with just snippets, I knew you were one of us. Aubrey kept denying it, but I knew. Maybe it was that soulmate thing you've been on about."

"I would bet on that."

"Yeah, but never did I expect a wolf." Beca started chuckling. "Honestly, when you first crept up on me, I was laughing really hard picturing you as part of the rodent animal set because I could smell you really close, but I couldn't see you. I mean we already had a lizard and a kangaroo. What the hell was I to do with a field mouse?"

Chloe giggled again. "Yeah, I would be pretty pissed had I been a field mouse by default."

"Don't worry. I still would've carried you in my knapsack, dear."

"That would be the only time someone was smaller than you too when you're human."

Beca playfully bit the redhead's shoulder. "I was trying to be nice, Beale!"

"Sorry, sorry, go on."

"No, you're all out of my sappy side now."

Chloe licked the other wolf's snout before nuzzling back into her neck. "Beca?"

"Yeah?"

"Can I ask you something? You don't have to answer it if you don't want to, but I just was curious, and I never knew, but Aubrey told me some of it, but she didn't-"

The chocolate wolf took her lover's ear in her mouth, biting down to calm her.

"Take it easy, Clifford," she chuckled lightly. "I can read thoughts. You wanna know what happened back in the desert, yeah?" Chloe nodded. "Okay, that's fine. I understand, and I think it's time I tell it for my sake and yours. It was a lot, you know. Aubrey told you about the ambush, right?"

"Yeah."

"Well, when they took me, and I realized who they were, I pretended to still be knocked out, and I memorized the trail we took. I couldn't phase when we got there because of my injuries. They put me in a chair, hooked me up to some car batteries, and they kept calling me a demon. We had been whooping their army's ass for some time, and yeah, we phased a few times when the battle was rugged and it was only us as a squad. I guess someone got away and told the palace about us. I wouldn't say anything though. I know they could feel the heat on me. They asked about it and everything else. In one battle, they wounded Jesse really bad, and it would have killed anyone else, but he healed really quickly, like before the battle was over. I was the leader, so they figured without me, the team was done. They sent out squads looking for the camp outside of Fallujah, but when I was taken, they shipped a lot of soldiers home and brought in the Army to another part of the country. My team wouldn't go home though. Anyway, they beat me and shocked me for a long time, not like the MK Ultra mind control shock but just a regular shock. It should have killed me. The whippings should have killed me. They would put razors in my mouth and make me chew on it, but the cuts healed. My tongue was hanging half off, but it healed. They slashed my eye, and I went blind for awhile, but that healed too. It didn't make sense to them, so they kept asking because they knew I should have been dead. Finally, after eight months at it, they took a break and through me in a closet. I hadn't slept in all those months save for a few blackouts, but I fell asleep the moment they locked the door. I slept for months I guess. When I woke up, I was healed but still locked away, so I tried to phase, and I could. I called Aubrey, and she was in preferred form. They had been taking turns to see if I called. I gave them the coordinates, told them how to get there. The dictator was such a cocky sonofabitch that he had them bring me to his palace. I shifted when I felt Aubrey close. I told them how to get into the cellar, but they weren't in preferred form when they went in, and they had been out of it for awhile except for Aubrey. Even then though, they couldn't last long out of it like I told you, so there was a meeting going on in the chamber they flew into. They tried to wait it out, but they couldn't. They started phasing. I knew it. I could feel them when they started shifting, so I broke out and headed for the chamber. The dictator was in the chamber too. They tried to get him out, but I cut them off. He ran, but we had him cornered in the hall, and he-he asked what we wanted." She scoffed now. "I-I was so angry. He knew exactly why we had come. I turned human, but-I don't know, something snapped inside me, something more serious than just a wolf. I wanted blood. I _needed_ it, so I started beating him. I beat him until every bone in his face was shattered, until it was hard to recognize him. Finally, the team pulled me off. Aubrey bit my ear like I just bit yours because that's what calms us, and we took him out, the dictator's body, to the people."

"Then, the sergeant?"

"Well, we returned to camp, and all the superiors were there. They had flown out when Luke told them the team had gone to get me. They made up some story about me getting hold of a radio. Luke's superior didn't allow him to take his brigade. Most of them had been sent home. There were seventy-two marines in our company, but they wouldn't allow Aubrey to lead them all either, so she just took our main platoon, the shifters. Anyway, we got back, and the superiors came to congratulate us, tell us we were getting medals, and even invited the new Iraq president for alcohol and bullshitting. I-I was just, numb to it all. I know I should've been happy. The torture shouldn't have effected me the way it did. I mean, come on. I lost my parents and turned into a wolf. I didn't-I guess it was shame more than anything, the feeling of wanting to cry and break down replaced by this-this terrifyingly deep thirst for blood, for more blood. Those superiors left me. They wanted to leave me to die, and had it not been for this family, I would have been out there alone. I could've died eventually, when they decided to just end it, when they knew I wouldn't talk. The guy was obsessed with the idea of a lethal weapon though, so he wouldn't kill me. He tried to ware me down, but I would've taken it for years if it meant protecting the others."

"And that's the difference between us and our parents, Becs. They tried to use each other. We just want to protect each other."

"Yeah, I understand that now, I guess. I-just, the dreams that got to me the moment I fell asleep that night wouldn't let me go. I keep seeing his face, and I knew he was dead because I killed him right before I killed the dictator, but he was there in my head, but-sometimes, I would be looking at myself. _I _was the torturer, and it scared the hell out of me because I was. I had been out there all of those years, and I never told the others this, but I was _trying_ to die. Everytime we went out to fight, I wanted to get hurt, to push myself to the limits and see how far it had to go to kill something like me, and that scared me most. Then, that fucking drunk sergeant snuck up on me, and I-I just snapped. I never meant to hurt him, to nearly kill him, but he scared the fuck out of me, and all I saw was red. They didn't know what to do. They took me away. I woke up in the asylum, and I was in a self-induced coma for maybe-three months. They started treatment, but I-I couldn't speak. It was like the words were caught in my throat, and I couldn't. They were gonna keep me forever. I-I got letters, from Aubrey, but they never let anyone visit me, and they never let me send a reply, but-they almost made me want to change, to speak again, but I-I just couldn't. This nurse started insulting me about not talking, started saying I was a lost cause. Then she-she said that my parents were probably turning in their graves, and I-I did it again. I attacked her, and I knew then that was it. I'd never leave. I was weak. I was t-too weak to get better for my team, for my family. I was too weak to let myself cry, to let myself cope and tell someone, anyone, what was happening to me, to understand. I just couldn't. I let my team down. I was supposed to stay in that fucking place forever. I would have, but-my sister. My sister came back for me."  
Beca, throughout the last of the speech, had not realized they had phased into human form. She also had not noticed the looming figures, shadows in the fog on the path they had come down. Chloe had not yet noticed them either. She cupped Beca's face in her hands, tilting her head down so that their eyes met. The captain's eyes were glossy, welled up with tears, and Chloe wiped them away along with drops of rain. Tucking soaked chocolate tresses behind Beca's ear, the redhead fused their lips together.

"You're many things, Beca," she hissed against her lips. "Many things, but you are not weak. Weak would have been to turn Aubrey away the day she came for your help. Weak would have been refusing to go to your parents' house, to refuse to go back to face your sister after finding the truth. Weak would be to have completely avoided my questions, and weak would have been to stay in the desert and wait for death. No, weak would have been never joining the military to begin with, to fall to your grief the day your parents were buried. You, Beca Mitchell, are not weak. You are stronger than you give yourself credit for. If you weren't, your skeptic and pragmatic sister would never trust you regardless of rank or title. If you weren't, Luke never would have told you what happened to him. You would not be leading them, and we would never have made it this far. If you weren't, I wouldn't be here. Beca, what you have to understand though is that before anything else, even before being your company, we're your family. We love you, and you're human. Well, you're half human, but you have emotions, and we don't expect you to be strong all of the time. We want to help you. We want you to come to us. I want you to come to me. I know you've had to be strong for them all of this time, but as your girlfriend and better half, I'm gonna be strong for you. I'm going to turn the tide and be the one to hold you up."  
Beca could not find words that were good enough to respond with, so instead, she gently kissed the redhead's lips then her forehead.

"I love you, Chloe," she breathed. "I love you so much, but it doesn't hurt anymore."

"I love you too, Beca," she replied. "More than I can ever say, but I'll spend my whole life proving it to you."

As they kissed again, the figures in the fog moved forth, led by a sleek lioness and towering bear. Beca looked up as the shadows loomed over them. The captain smiled up at her lieutenant, her sister, reaching up to pet the lioness's head softly. Chloe stood, taking Beca's hands and pulling her to her feet. The two then phased as their comrades spread across the row, bowing down at their parents' graves. Denise, Luke and Cynthia Rose became aware of their mothers being recently buried and allowed themselves a moment. Luke's parents were nestled between Amy's father and Stacie's parents. They were silent as they visited those who had given them life until they at last traveled together to the end of the row.

"Where's the demon?" Beca asked.

"Sleeping," Benji replied, a grin evident in his place. "He'll wake up soon. He's in the car, but the treatment worked, so I'm pretty sure Luke's gonna be just fine too."

The majestic lion gave a roar of agreement as his team chuckled.

"Okay, let's take him back to the hospital, and we can get some questions in."


	11. At All Costs

**_A/N: So I really just have one question for you all since the reviews have fizzled out. Are you still into this? Should I continue or should we move on? Please let me know. I wouldn't want to bore you. Leave a review please and tell me._**

_Letter 382:_

_"I don't know if they deliver these letters anymore. I know you've been trapped in solitary, and I understand why. I hear what those idiot nurses say about you, and I know why you attacked her. They don't know understand, but Beca, I need you to get better. I need you here. Not a day goes by that I don't miss you. It wasn't supposed to be this way. It should have been you up there accepting your medals, not me. We won. We did the impossible, and we were victorious. We were heroes. We need you here. I miss you every single day. They tease me. They laugh at me. They don't understand how I can love you when we started off on such a rocky path. Hell, I'm not sure myself, but I do love you. I don't know how I love you or what that love means, but what I do know is that I feel so incomplete without you here beside me. You're like my other half, something I need in order to feel whole. You know, my father died last night. I have to go back for his funeral, and Luke and Chloe are going with me. It isn't that I miss him. It's the fact that I haven't seen him since I left for basic training. What scares me is that the last time I saw him, he was red in the face and calling me all of these horrible names. That's my last memory of him. I don't want my last memory of you being out cold, covered in someone else's blood being carried away by those soldiers. They didn't understand. No one understands what you went through, Beca, but you have to speak. I am going to get you out of there one day. I will not let them keep you there forever. I love you."_

_Aubrey handed James the letter, so that the man could send it off as he had every day for over a year. The pain was overwhelming by now, but Aubrey had a job to do. She could not allow this to overpower her. She was strong. She was Secretary of Defense Aubrey Posen, a figure both respected and feared throughout the world from her dozens of military medals to the prestigious office she now held. It would never be filling. It would never be enough for her. She hadn't seen her company aside from Luke in months, and it ate a hole in her heart, but she had a job to do, and she had to keep it together for the sake of Evan Beale and their country._

* * *

Benji and Jesse carried the man back into the cancer ward, strapping him securely to a chair as a safety precaution. Beca noticed a large difference from the monster she had carried on her back. The color had slightly returned to his once bluish-grey face, his lips now a light pink. His body temperature had risen significantly, and his hair looked soft now. He no longer looked like a wax statue. Benji set him up for another dose of the radiation therapy. The team settled around, awaiting the awakening of the beast. At last, the man's hazel green eyes fluttered open and he looked around him. Beca now stood, stepping forward at attention, hand stiffly at her forehead in a salute.

"Captain Beca Mitchell. First Battalion, First Marines. Company: Riptide. United States Marine Corp. State your branch and rank, soldier."

Her company watched in awe as the captain formally introduced herself. How could she know he was a soldier? They were even more in awe when the man saluted back, standing carefully despite the extension cords remaining around his legs.

"First Lieutenant Lance Garrison. Pilot. 960th Airborne Air Control Squadron. United States Air Force, Captain."

Beca brought her hand down in a swift motion, the heels of her bare feet hitting the floor. The man followed suit, eyes locked with the captain.

"Have a seat, Lieutenant," she offered, and he complied. "Now, do you remember anything from the last few months or so?"

"Last thing I remember was in May, Captain," he began. "We were running routine combat drills, and the base was put on mandatory stand down. All of us were sent to the barracks."

"Where were you stationed, soldier?"

"Oklahoma. These men came in and said we were to leave immediately. The White House had just been attacked, but when we got on the plane, it was really-smoky, I guess. I couldn't keep my eyes open. When we landed, we-were in Cuba. I only know this because of the flag in the hangar, but I don't think we were supposed to know."

"Okay, so you don't remember anything between now and then?"

"No, ma'am. Well, except, they took us underground and put me in a chair and hooked me up to all this stuff soon as we got there. Then I was shocked real bad, and I-I must have passed out then."

"Now, do you know any of the men that were with you?"

"My whole squadron was with me, Captain and many others. There was a lot of military there, and everyone was really confused because well, Cuba hates us, but it was okay for them I guess. Our CoS and Lieutenant General were there too, and there were many other soldiers from just about every branch. Uh, secret service members and others too. It seemed like a regular military base really."

"He's right," now Luke piped up. "Now that my head's cleared, they had a lot of technology around, and that's what they hooked us up to. They had the barracks and everything, but there were a lot of high-ranking officers there like Stafford. The entire operation was underground though, like deep underground. When I escaped, it was through a sewage tunnel. That's how I was able to make it to the water."

"Well, I guess our next stop is Nevada now, right?" Aubrey concluded. "We need to know what we have to work with. Once we know that, we can figure out as to how to approach Cuba. We can't do much without accounting for weaponry, now can we?"

"Sounds good to me," Beca replied. "I think I have an idea as to how we can get there too. Jesse and Benji, take Lance here and go check on James and his boys at the house. Pack up whatever's there. Chloe, Aubrey, Luke and Stacie come with me."

The group complied, and the four Beca pointed out followed her down into the lobby. They stripped down, throwing their clothes into one of the vehicles before Lance was brought down, and they phased, following Beca without hesitation as she darted south. The rain had let up only slightly, and the clouds seemed much darker now. They weren't even sure what time of day it was, but the sun had only just risen when they had visited the cemetery, so it was probably close to noon. They reached the outskirts of town, Beca turning into a very familiar place to her company, a place they had seen both when they first left Barden and when they last came home, some more than others. Chloe had seen it when she left for DC, and Aubrey had seen it to and from her father's funeral. It was Barden's small but prized airport, only a remnant of what it once was, but the team understood Beca's thinking now. They couldn't really phase if they wanted to keep James, Lance and the others with them, but driving would not be a smart idea at all. If they were able to find one of the more private planes that were used frequently to carry Barden's surplus of soldiers to and from training, they would be able to fly to Vegas. She had brought Stacie because the brunette had had the most flight experience, steering helicopters and the taxi carrier several times. As Beca came to a stop at the mouth of the old hangar, she phased. Her and Luke opened up the door, and they were both relieved to find the old grey carrier nestled inside and looking in great shape. Stacie wasted no time in inspecting the craft, and Luke helped with maintenance while Beca climbed up inside. There were parachutes, helmets, a few weapons, flare gun and fatigues, which they each pulled on.

"It looks like it had just been readied for a flight," Stacie informed the captain. "Tank is full, and there's more fuel in the back. They were probably ready to take off when they were told to evacuate. It's good though. It's ready to go."

"Good, call Benji, and tell him to bring everyone down, so we can get going."

As Beca settled into the co-pilot chair, Chloe took the seat behind her. Luke and Aubrey were still outside after checking the cargo hold hatch and calling the doctor. Before they entered the plane, Luke pulled Aubrey back into his arms, startling her enough that her face flushed red.

"I'm glad I'm back here," he whispered, their noses touching.

"You have no idea how glad I am you're back," she returned breathily.

He leaned down, pressing his lips to hers as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Don't leave me again," she hissed into his neck when the kiss ended.

"I'll always come back to you, Bree," he assured her. "I promise. I love you."

"I love you too."

Benji arrived with the rest of the team within a half hour, and they loaded up the plane. Stacie punched in the coordinates of the old Area 51 site on the GPS system, and Beca checked the team to make sure everyone was in top shape. At Luke's own request, they bound him to his seat just to make sure he would be okay when they exited Barden. Lance was bound for the same reason, and he didn't mind it.

"Hey, Doc," Amy hissed to Benji as they found their seats. "Why didn't that guy explode the moment they entered Barden?"

"The chemical density in the air wasn't strong enough. It would have disrupted his senses, but he could withstand it for minimal time. That's why I had to run all of these tests before we head to Cuba, to know how much it takes to either kill them or cure him."

"Okay, everyone good?" The captain asked one last time from her co-pilot chair.

Everyone gave the affirmative, and Stacie began flipping multiple switches. The plane rolled out of the hangar and onto the runway as Beca buckled in.

"ETA," Beca asked her pilot.

"It's currently 1300. ETA 1600. Turn that radio on just in case there are still people down here. They need to be able to reach us, so they don't decide to shoot us out of the sky."

Beca flipped on the radio carefully as Stacie pulled back on a handle, the plane becoming inverted. They slowly climbed through the air, quickly swallowed by clouds before they at last leveled out. Stacie stated altitude, mostly for her benefit, and they gained speed as they headed west. Once Stacie confirmed they were out of Barden and passing Atlanta to the north, Beca unbuckled herself and stood. Luke was talking normally with Lance and Amy about something completely ridiculous, and she chuckled.

"I'm guessing you're doing okay, colonel," she smirked. "And Lieutenant."

"I feel fantastic," he replied as Lance nodded happily, beaming then the colonel's face suddenly contorted into confusion. "I'm just -really, really hungry."

The team laughed at their colonel as Beca cupped his shoulder before untying him and Lance.

"I'll get you a happy meal as soon as we touch down," she replied.

"Now you're speaking my language!" Amy boomed, and Beca cringed at the volume.

"Chill out there, Kangaroo Jack."

"Well, if we can find an active McDonald's, I could die happy."

"You are really easy to please."

"Yeah, I would have been a really crooked cop."

Another chuckle before Beca headed back to the front of the plane. She kneeled in front of Chloe, and the redhead smiled at her.

"I'm doing just fine, Cap," she said sarcastically.

"I know," Beca sighed, tucking copper locks behind Chloe's ear. "I just wanted to see those eyes."

"You know, you're losing badass points pretty quickly lately."

"Yeah, but when I save the world, I get them all back. I have some to spare."

Chloe chuckled as Beca winked, kissing the brunette's nose then her lips softly. "I don't mind you dropping the whole badass setup there at all. I love you just the way you are."

"And I love you, but I wouldn't know how _not_ to be badass for too long. Like a fish outta water."

Another giggle. "Someone has to toughen up our kids I guess."

"Yeah, because if I left it up to you to do all the work, they would be chasing butterflies and spitting rainbows or something of the sort."

Chloe shoved Beca playfully, nearly causing the captain to lose her balance. "I resent that. I'm just as much an animal as you, okay, but I'll be the one to teach them to love."

"Yeah, the same way you taught me. An equal balance of love and war."

"Exactly."

Beca stole another soft kiss before returning to the cockpit to check on Stacie. Stacie assured her she was doing just fine, but Beca sat beside her anyway. Stacie looked over at the captain with a soft smile, noticing the goofy grin on the shorter brunette's face.

"What?" Beca asked, glancing at her.

"Nothing," Stacie replied quickly, still smiling.

"No, not nothing. You're smiling really creepy. What is it?"

"I'm just glad to see you genuinely happy, Cap."

"Do you mean that, or am I missing something?"

Stacie's voice lowered to avoid anyone, especially Chloe hearing her as Beca leaned in. "No, I mean it. I mean, we kept each other sane back in the desert, but we both know we would never really work. We want different things, but beside that, Chloe is definitely the one and only for you, and I like her. I always have. She's good for you. The only thing I could offer you was a warm bed, but she can offer you the world. She'll even you out, Cap, and be everything and anything that you lack. You just better take care of her. We didn't rescue her for nothing."  
Beca chuckled. "You got it, Officer, and thanks. I know what you mean, but you know you always have a special place in this tattered heart of mine. I'd call you my sister, but having a past like ours makes it a little weird."

"No, that's water under the bridge. We leave it in the past with our mommy and daddy issues and everything else we got through to get here."

"Okay, deal. You know, you're a great person, Stacie. Don't ever think otherwise. I know your dad made it seem like you were only good out of your clothes, but like I told you that night, that is anything but the truth. I will always protect you still."

And it was true. It was one of their many nights together when Stacie had opened up. She had just received the letter from home that her father had passed away, and Beca had helped her release the anger built up inside her.

* * *

_"You know the last thing he said to me?" the taller brunette hissed, her head resting on the captain's bare shoulder. "That I would never make it in the military. I was only worth something when I was on my back."_

_Beca immediately sat up, taking the taller woman in her arms and locking eyes with her. Stacie was shocked at the sudden movement, and the tears had already begun to well up._

_"You listen to me, Stacie, that is anything but the truth, and you would be foolish to believe otherwise. You are a beautiful person inside and out, and I have been horrible at showing you that. It may seem like this is the only time I pay attention to you, but I would take a bullet for you the same as I would for Cynthia Rose or Amy. I love you as a person, and you are beautiful inside and out. Fuck that guy. He can rot in hell now for making you feel that way." Now Stacie dropped her gaze sadly, and Beca had never seen such fear and lack of confidence in the woman's bright gaze. Something else lurked behind those hazel green eyes. "What did he do to you, Stacie?"_

_"I-I can't burden you with that, Captain. You're not responsible for my-"_

_"Stacie, tell me." Beca took a finger and lifted Stacie's chin. "Tell me now. You're my family the same as anyone else. Just a bit different, but I care about you just the same, so you tell me."_

_"He-he used to-'lend' me to his friends, and he-he would let them do th-things to me that..."_

_She trailed off, the sobs overwhelming her, and the captain pulled her into a tight embrace, stroking her hair and kissing the top of her head._

_"Never again," she vowed softly. "No one will ever hurt you again, Stacie, as long as I'm alive. I'll protect you always, and I swear that on everything."_

_And Stacie believed her because Captain Beca Mitchell never made a promise she could not keep, and she never betrayed her word._

* * *

"I know, Cap." Stacie's smile widened. "I remember, but you deserve the absolute best, and I can personally say that Chloe is it."

"Okay, enough with the sappy stuff," Beca sighed, nudging the taller woman gently. "I'm all mushy inside and shit, and I don't like it."

Stacie giggled but returned her gaze out to the skies as the clouds cleared up ever so slightly, and the sky turned from grey to blue. They hit some turbulence here and there, but all in all, it was a pleasant flight. As they crossed the Nevada state line however, just as Stacie had foretold, the radio began to crackle, but no voice was heard. It was all static. Beca picked it up.

"This is Captain Beca Mitchell of the United States Marine Corp, do you copy?"

No answer. More static. Beca repeated herself into the microphone several more times as they approached the site, but the static only became louder. As they crossed the initial boundaries of the base, Beca tried again to no avail. Before she could do it once more, there was a series of booms, and the plane began to shake. Stacie glanced out to her left. The wing had taken a hit.

"Okay, everyone hang tight!" she hollared. "It's going to be a bumpy landing!"

She maneuvered the plane and readied it for landing as more shots were fired at them.

"We are U.S. Marines!" Beca yelled into the radio. "Hold your fire!"

As they headed for the ground, the wing flew off, propeller and all, and the ground was coming up fast. At the last possible moment, Stacie pulled up on the wheel with everything she had. The belly of the plane bumped along the hard ground, the plane bouncing until it came to a stop. The moment it did, they were surrounded by what had to be hundreds of men in fatigues with guns.

"I got this," Beca sighed. "Come on, Luke."

The two leaders opened up the door, and a voice yelled. "Exit the aircraft slowly! Hands up!"

Beca and Luke complied, and they hopped down onto the ground.

"I am Captain Beca Mitchell of the United States Marine Corp."

"I am Colonel Luke Bryant of the United States Marine Corp."

"Holy shit, it really is Beca Mitchell!" One man said, stepping forward. "Lower your weapons."

The man halted before Beca and Luke with a salute, and they mimicked it.

"Master Sergeant Rick Fields of the United States Air Force. I am the highest ranked in command here currently. Our other superiors have disappeared on us."

"What's going on here?" Beca asked, eyebrow quirked.

"Welcome to Groom Lake, or as you may know it, the official Area 51."

"Have you guys been here the whole time?"

"While the country was falling apart? Yeah, we have been. We were contacted just weeks before the White House was taken down to ready the nuclear bombs we had, but we never got more than that, so we didn't know where to drop them. We dropped a prototype over Las Vegas when it was overrun by those zombie things, but we had the others stored after they were brought up from Waco. We haven't seen any of those things since the drop though, so it did its job."

"Yeah, the chemicals and radiation destroy them. How the hell aren't you affected by all of that in the air anyway?"

"Windmills, or something of the sort. They're set up between here and Vegas to purify the air. We just lost our Waco station though, so we don't have anything new coming in."

"Well, we need to know what you _do_ have. Let me get my platoon here, and we can brief you on the situation."

"Sure thing, Captain. Staff Sergeant Reynolds, tell the kitchen to prepare some food and get some water for these Marines."

Beca and her team followed Fields down into the depths of the original Area 51, leaving James and his two comrades in the main lobby, and they could not believe the sight. There were small hovercraft-like vehicles, larger stealth aircraft, tubes of sorts around the building that seemed to lead up onto ground level and computers and other technologies of different sorts. Beca could not believe how they could keep this all up and running, but she wouldn't complain. This gave them something to work with. Once Fields and Reynolds had the team settled into the mess hall, they closed the doors so that they could be briefed on the Marines' journey thus far. Beca and Luke explained to them what the demons were, how they were made, and where they were being made. They introduced Lance as a survivor, and Lance told them of his experience in Cuba. Beca also introduced them to the president's daughter and secretary of state officially. After that, they described the damage along the east coast and their multiple run-ins with the demons, leaving out their specialties of course.

"So...what do you need from us?" Fields asked when they finished their meal. "You wanna drop a bomb on Cuba?"

"I actually think they're smarter than that now," Beca informed him. "It's deep underground. I don't know if the bomb would affect it."

"Aside from that, how would we deal with the ones already here?" Reynolds asked skeptically.

"Well, we would need a way to use the radiation the way we did with Lance here," Benji came in. "We would be able to cure them with it."

"I doubt those things are gonna line up to get treated, and we can't just bomb the homeland. it would be uninhabitable for years."

There was a moment of silence as each soldier pondered an alternative.

"Benji," Beca broke. "Now, we talked about the radiation from the bomb. What if you were able to go with a smaller dosage, an actual bomb made for the radiation alone? No explosion, just what it would create. Like-a smoke bomb, just the cure without the chaos."

Benji considered it a moment before speaking. "Well, I guess it would be possible but by a completely different mechanism, and I would have to find the chemicals that would be able to cure them indefinitely because it wouldn't exactly be radiation we could depend on. I would need more test subjects."

"That's easy."

"But, Becs, even then. We would need equipment. There's no equipment here after Waco, and to spread it out amongst the nation would take forever. We would need a much bigger army than this."

"Well, we need nuclear equipment and an army, and I believe we have a favor I can call in back in Iraq, don't you think?" Beca stood and headed out to the control room, the others following.

"You think those things have spread out there?"

"No," Fields immediately replied. "We've had contact with every major country, and those things have honed in on us, but I think they're just waited to make their army larger before they spread."

"Well, Galbraith wants America first and foremost," Reynolds pointed out. "That's the country he fought for and never got credit from."  
Beca halted. "What do you mean?" she asked.

"Well, from what we've heard, Galbraith's brother was a marine, and he was in the army infantry. Front lines. He fought for months. His brother comes in last minute, and his company saves the world. His brother and his platoon become gods. They even had women snuck in there, so of course, Galbraith was pissed off. Now, he wants to run the country and this army to prove that he deserved some respect and acknowledgment."

Beca scoffed. "Aubrey, you can have all the medals. Don't take over the world on some fuckin' sibling rivalry."

Aubrey shoved her sister. "I'm not that much of a drama queen, Mitchell."

"Yeah, we'll see."

"Don't be so cocky. I believe we were almost even with medals."

"Thank God. If not, you can have mine."

"Okay, so we need to pick up some demons and Benji needs to get to the mid-east," Luke sighed. "That sounds good, but what are we gonna do about Cuba?"

"We have some aircrafts for you to use," Fields informed them. "It'll get you into Iraq without issue, and it has cargo space for any POWs you're taking with you. We have the bombers that can take us to Cuba too if that's what you decide to do."

"No, we need to get inside that place," Beca huffed, thinking over it.

"Yeah, we do," Luke agreed.

There was another long pause as they settled on a few couches in what looked to be a lounge which the soldiers spent their downtime in. They eyed one another a moment.

"I'll go," Luke at last concluded.

"Luke, no-" Aubrey began, but he cut her off.

"As far as they know, I haven't been cured."

"Luke..."

"Aubrey, it's the best plan we have. I can get down there and find where we need to hit and how. There's no other way. We can drop a bomb and not do one bit of damage, and they'll speed up their process once they realize that we know their location."

"You said you wouldn't leave anymore."

"Aubrey, we have to do something," Beca stepped in. "This is our job. This is bigger than you."

"Well, you can't just go in there empty-handed," Cynthia Rose interjected.

"You can take me," Beca replied quickly, and Chloe's face fell but said nothing.

"Beca, I was supposed to kill you," Luke replied. "I can't take you. They'll never buy that. If anyone could trigger the memories to cure me, it would be you because that's what they believe. They believe memories alone can bring me back."

"Well, I was their other big target," Chloe now piped up, eager to take Beca's place.

"Chloe, no," Beca immediately interrupted.

"She's right, Becs," Luke assured her. "She would be the only one they would accept."

"No, goddammit!"

"You fuckin' hypocrite!" Aubrey now screeched. "It's bigger than you, remember!"

"Luke is a fuckin' Marine, Aubrey! He is trained for this shit! If I could last in a fuckin' desert chamber, he can handle it! Chloe is not trained the way we are!"

"Beca, I'll be fine. I'll be with Luke."

"No, you're not going, Chloe! Dammit!"

It took everything in Luke to pull the card he did next. He only hoped it didn't backfire. He stood now, facing Beca's enraged expression calmly.

"Captain," he said softly.

"Don't you dare, Luke," she growled.

"As your colonel, I am going to have to ask you to stand down."

"Fuck your ranking, Colonel! You handed them over to me! We aren't fuckin' marines anymore!"

"Here, we are, and your emotions are disrupting this mission. Therefore, I'm ordering you to stand down, Captain!"

"Oh, now you wanna lead now!" She scoffed. "Now, you wanna take charge. You weren't there to rescue me, Luke, but I didn't give up on you. You weren't in that fuckin' palace with us. You had the easy road throughout your entire fuckin' career while we stained our hands."

"Beca!" Chloe now yelled, grabbing Beca's arm and pulling her out into a hall, pushing her against the wall. "Look at me." Beca wouldn't. "Beca, you look at me now!" She at last complied slowly, anger in her eyes. "Me here worrying about you is the same as you here worrying about me. I know you wanna protect me, but he's right. They'll kill you both, and then what good is that? We can handle it. No, I'm not a marine, but I'm tough. I can handle this. I have to hold my own too. I'm not a damsel in distress, Beca, and you have to trust me and treat me like your other half and not an extension you have to tend to at all times. I'm doing this whether you listen to Luke or not. It's my choice. Now, you need to stop fighting Aubrey and Luke on this and stay strong, or we will all end up like our parents. We will fall divided, and the closest we will ever be again are under those plots lined up beside each other. Do you understand me, Captain?"

Beca searched Chloe's eyes for any hint of fear or hesitation. There was none, only sheer determined strength. She nodded slowly, knowing she had already lost the argument there and all that was said was true. She pulled Chloe closer to her and into a bruising kiss.

"You better come back in one piece, soldier," Beca hissed as they rested their foreheads together. "I'll be close."

"I'll come home to you, Captain."

"I won't be any further than Barden, do you understand?"

"Yes, Babe, I do. I love you."

"I love you too."

Fields at last was able to get in contact with President Majid Khadduri in the Iraqi palace, and he was thrilled to personally take Captain Beca Mitchell's call, his country's savior. He was very fluent in English, so he dismissed his translator at once.

"What can I do for you, Captain Mitchell?" he asked firmly once she took the line.

"What wouldn't you do for me, President Khadduri?" she smirked.

"There isn't much on that list, I assure you. We owe you here in Iraq."

"Well, as I'm sure you know, our country is under attack."

"Yes, of course, and Japan is threatening to destroy it."

"Well, we are the last of very few military personnel left. We need an ally. I have several chemists and scientists in my company that are positive they can construct a device, a bomb of sorts, that can cure the sickness infecting our military and causing them to kill our civilians and others. There is a terrorist that we have identified infiltrating our branches with mind control and chemical warfare and killing all who do not comply. We would need your resources, your labs first to construct these devices. Then we would need your military to help us set the devices and launch the cure."

"That is all, Mitchell?" The man chuckled. "I will set forth the order straight away."

"Do you remember Benjamin Applebaum?"

"Of course. The doctor. He helped with aiding our troops and civilians after Khalid's fall."

"He will be entering your country along with several others of my company and our air force. May they land in Karbala?"

"Yes, of course, at our base here. I will issue it to our base immediately, and you will have complete access. My men and resources are at his disposal."

"I will be in contact once we take care of some other things at hand, but I thank you greatly, President, and I assure you that you will forever be in this country's good graces."

"Of course, Captain. You be safe. May your god bless you."

"As yours shall."

With that, Beca ended the call. Benji had already assembled his team which included specialists from the air force as well as a few army scientists and doctors that were rescued and brought to the base. He also had Jessica, Ashley, Denise and Stacie, who were very knowledgable with chemistry and physics and would be of great help to him. As Fields and his comrades readied the aircraft to be taken to the middle east, Beca took her group aside to give them one last briefing.

"First, I speak as your captain," she began. "Benji, you will leave here tomorrow at 0800, and we will fetch your test subjects tonight. You and your group will land at the base in Karbala, and the president will take care of all clearance before your arrival. You will be welcomed into the base and its labs, and he will have his best staff at your disposal. I need you guys to be very careful with all you're doing. When you have succeeded in your first objective, they will be graciously giving us an ally in their army to come back here and execute the final stage once Luke and Chloe have executed their own. I need you to work quickly. We can't use too much time as Japan is slowly losing their patience, and they will take this country down with a push of a button. Now, the rest of us will escort Luke and Chloe back to the east coast, and Fields and a platoon of his will come with us for central intelligence and men that know the ins and outs of the weapons that we are carrying and the aircrafts we are utilizing. We are to drop off Luke and Chloe in Miami where Luke will contact them and have them taken back to Cuba. We stay a safe distance so as to not draw attention to our scent. The crafts will be sprayed down with a chemical solution Benji was able to whip up to mask our scent as best we can without harming anyone. We are all marines again, and we have a job to defend our country." Beca took a deep breath now. "And now, I speak to you as your friend, your sister, your lover, your family. I love every single one of you, and memorize this moment because you fuckers know I don't do this. Ever." Her group chuckled. "I do though. You are the family that I haven't had in ages, and it was hard to be away from you for so long, but I know that if we succeed...no, when we succeed, this will be the last time we ever have to split up. We will not be like our parents. We will not fall divided. I won't give up on you, but you have to believe in me, believe in each other, but most of all, believe in yourselves. We're a family, and we always be, and family protects each other, so on each of your assigned missions, you watch each other's backs over anything. We're gonna come home all together, and we're going to come home victorious."

"Group hug!" Stacie suddenly squealed, and no one hesitated grouping around their captain, who groaned but could not hide her smile.

They had come this far, and it was crunch time. It was the most vital part of any mission, execution of the solution. Beca knew what was at stake, and she knew there was a chance one of them would not make it home, but she could not dwell on that now. She had to be strong for her team once more as Chloe fought to be strong for her. They didn't like it, but if they didn't do it, no one would, and the oath that they made to their country so many years ago did not have an expiration date. This was what they were built for, trained for, bred for. This was their life, and if they wanted to live, ironically, they would have to be willing to die for it.


	12. See Ya Later

**_A/N: So first and foremost, thank you to every single one of you who dropped such detailed reviews or reviews to keep me going. very inspirational, and i am glad you're still with me so let's move out! shall we?_**

_Chloe slung her backpack over her shoulder and opened the car door. She looked up at the old stone building before her with both joy and fear. _

_"You're going to be fine," her mother said, stepping out to give her a hug. "They have another student waiting at the front office who will show you to all of your classes throughout the day. She's a freshman too, and you have matching schedules. Her name is Aubrey Posen."_

_"Thank you for this, Mom," Chloe whispered against her mother's neck. _

_"I just want you to have the full experience, Honey. I love you."  
"I love you too."_

_Clarissa kissed her daughter's head before Chloe turned and headed up the large stone steps leading into Barden High School. She held onto her backpack strap tightly with both hands. As she entered, there was a tall blonde resting against the wall beside the office door. She was slender with sharp features, lips pursed, and she looked up at Chloe with emerald green eyes that shimmered in the light. She stepped forth, and Chloe kept her eyes on her. When they were only a few feet apart, the blonde gave her a genuine smile._

_"You must be Chloe Beale," she said with a grin._

_"Yeah, I am," Chloe replied, beaming. "And you are Aubrey Posen?"_

_"Yes, that's me. Come on. Mrs. Gill will get you a school handbook and a copy of your schedule. We have the same classes. I checked."_

_After checking in with Mrs. Gill, the school secretary, Aubrey led Chloe to their first class on the second floor, Biology._

_"So where did you move from?" Aubrey asked._

_"I've been here since I was little, but I've been home schooled," Chloe responded, linking their arms together nonchalantly to which Aubrey tensed slightly and gulped, but Chloe didn't seem to notice-or care. "It took a long time for me to get my parents to agree to let me come to real school, especially because I'm younger."_

_"You're really young too, aren't you?"_

_Chloe giggled. "Yeah, very."_

_"Well, that's okay. I think it's cool, and you look very mature for...eleven? I could've skipped some grades too, but my daddy didn't let me. He's always all about perfection and wanted me to fulfill each year. We're going to have fun though. I'll introduce you to my friends as we go."_

_And Aubrey did just that. Chloe first met Stacie Conrad, a girl who talked about boys more than anything. She came off as really ditzy, but during their biology class, Chloe found that the girl was far beyond her years. She knew the answer to each and every question before it was really answered. Cynthia Rose Dean, a dark-skinned girl with short red hair, was the same. She was more outspoken however, and she in contrast talked about girls. Chloe liked her. She had always found girls rather attractive, and boys weren't really all too engaging to her. She found that most high school boys were pretty full of themselves in just a few classes. _

_Next, Chloe met Amy Wilson, who called herself Fat Amy so that "twig bitches like you don't call her that behind her back", and she had Chloe in multiple fits of giggles throughout fourth hour. The teacher, who was very used to Amy's antics, would just grunt to catch their attention and move forward. Another girl who sat with them during creative writing was Lily Onakuramara, a very quiet and slightly creepy girl that everyone had to strain to hear if she said anything. Still, Chloe gave her a blinding smile and introduced herself. She figured it was better to be on the scary girl's side rather than against her._

_At lunch, Chloe met the last of their group, Luke Bryant, a tall, blonde boy with a winning smile and muscles everywhere. He had a British accent, and he was two years older than all of the girls, but they had been friends for a long time. He was leaving for the military soon however, and she remembered her father mentioning a trial draft. What she noticed about the group as a whole was how bright their eyes were, each and every one of them, and they were never normal colors. While Aubrey's were that vivid emerald green, Stacie's were a bright hazel green, Cynthia's were milk chocolate with just a hint of auburn, and Amy's were a much milkier brown, very light but shiny. Lily's were very dark like midnight with hints of orange, like a tiger's coat, and Luke's were a cloudy grey color as if a storm brewed within them. Their eyes were magnificent, but what really alarmed her was the amount of body heat that radiated off of each and every one of them. She had felt it when she linked arms with Aubrey, but she figured that maybe it was just hot in the building, but no. She didn't feel such intense heat from anyone else in the halls, only Aubrey and her friends. Either way, she didn't ask or point it out. She liked these people, and she wouldn't risk a friendship that she knew could last forever..._

* * *

Chloe rested her head atop Beca's shoulder, the brunette wrapping an arm around the redhead's waste protectively as she kept the tears at bay. Chloe's eyes were distant, as if she believed that if she focused on anything else, she wouldn't cry. She could not expose any type of weakness whatsoever to the captain. It had been her courageous decision to be taken as Luke's hostage. Both women knew there was so much that could go wrong. The radiation could ware off. Luke would go back to being a puppet, and he could literally throw Chloe to the hounds. If what Benji was pitching was possible, the doctor had assured his captain he could have it done in record time, less than three weeks. Beca knew that they had to send Luke and Chloe off as soon as possible however. They couldn't wait another night, so she held her close.

There were no words at first. Chloe kissed each and every scar the captain had accumulated over a decade. Beca kissed the soft skin that had slowly thickened over the months. She caressed each curve and muscle, and Chloe did the same. No animal burst forth tonight. Each touch is slow, soft, sensual. They fully indulge in one another, getting lost in different shades of blue and different temperatures of intense heat. Then Chloe curls into her captain's side after each round, her fingers tracing patterns along taut abs while soft digits run through her copper hair lovingly.

"What did you used to do?" she asked suddenly, a thought transferred to Beca's mind.

"What do you mean?" the brunette returned softly.

"Like, what was your hobby when you were younger? Before you were given this life, what did you want to be?"

"Well, I loved music. My mother loved music too, and when I was ten, she taught me how to read music and understand the inner-workings of it all. I wanted to be a producer or a DJ. I would mix up songs, but-when my mom died, I couldn't even listen to music. It hurt too much."

"Well, maybe you can listen again one day."

"Well, with a girlfriend who has such a beautiful voice, I guess I couldn't really fight it."

Chloe smiled. "I wanted to be a singer. I wanted to be like-Christina Aguilera or someone like that. I love to sing, and I always used to."

"Yeah, I could tell by your room in Tahiti." Chloe giggled. "Very pop."

"Yeah, I guess that was my thing."

"Well, you can sing again. You can make a soundtrack for our healing. I'm sure it would be appreciated by the entire world because something tells me that Justin Bieber's gonna magically reappear once we save the world. Ugh."

Chloe chuckled, slapping her side. "That's mean."

"But true."

"I guess so."

Beca kissed the top of her love's head, fingers ghosting over her shoulder before resuming their trail through red tresses. Chloe's soft breaths hit her chest, and it were almost as if those breaths kept her heart beating, kept her alive. Tomorrow came to mind once more, and she squeezed her eyes shut tightly. Chloe could feel her tense up, and so she began to sing.

**_Here I am waiting_**

**_I'll have to leave soon_**

**_Why am I holding on?_**

**_We knew this day would come_**

**_We knew it all along_**

**_How did it come so fast?_**

**_This is our last night but it's late_**

**_And I'm trying not to sleep_**

**_Cause I know, when I wake, I will have to slip away_**

**_And when the daylight comes I'll have to go_**

**_But tonight I'm gonna hold you so close_**

**_Cause in the daylight we'll be on our own_**

**_But tonight I need to hold you so close_**

Chloe's tempo was slow and steady, a beautiful melody that she drew out, and Beca used her slower version to bring in her own piece, to let Chloe know she would be strong.

_I'm bulletproof, nothing to lose_

_Fire away, fire away_

_Ricochet, you take your aim_

_Fire away, fire away_

_You shoot me down but I won't fall_

_I am titanium_

_You shoot me down but I won't fall_

_I am titanium_

Chloe smiled, and she continued with her own song, kissing Beca's chest right above her heart.

**_Here I am staring at your perfection_**

**_In my arms, so beautiful_**

**_The sky is getting bright, the stars are burning out_**

**_Somebody slow it down_**

**_This is way too hard, cause I know_**

**_When the sun comes up, I will leave_**

**_This is my last glance that will soon be memory_**

_I'm bulletproof, nothing to lose_

_Fire away, fire away_

_Ricochet, you take your aim_

_Fire away, fire away_

_You shoot me down but I won't fall_

_I am titanium_

_You shoot me down but I won't fall_

_I am titanium_

**_I never want it to stop_**

**_Because I don't wanna start all over_**

**_Start all over_**

**_I was afraid of the dark_**

**_But now it's all that I want_**

**_All that I want, all that I want_**

_Stone-hard, machine gun_

_Firing at the ones who run_

_Stone-hard as bulletproof glass_

**_And when the daylight comes I'll have to go_**

**_But tonight I'm gonna hold you so close_**

**_Cause in the daylight we'll be on our own_**

**_But tonight I need to hold you so close_**

_I'm bulletproof, nothing to lose_

**_And when the daylight comes I'll have to go_**

_Fire away, fire away_

**_But tonight I'm gonna hold you so close_**

_Ricochet, you take your aim_

**_Cause in the daylight we'll be on our own_**

_Fire away, fire away_

**_But tonight I need to hold you so close_**

_You shoot me down but I won't fall_

_I am titanium_

_You shoot me down but I won't fall_

_I am titanium_

_I am titanium_

_I am titanium_

**_You shoot me down but I won't fall_**

**_I am titanium_**

**_You shoot me down but I won't fall_**

**_I am titanium_**

**_You shoot me down but I won't fall_**

**_I am titanium_**

**_You shoot me down but I won't fall_**

**_I am titanium_**

**_I am titanium_**

Beca pulled Chloe upwards, their eyes locking. Beca lay a chaste kiss to her lips.

"I love you very much, Chloe Abigail Beale, and I will stop at nothing to bring you home if I have to," she whispered, taking Chloe's hand and putting it over her heart. "Do you feel that? That's your song. It beats for you and only you. Nothing in this world can keep me from you, and there is nothing I won't do for you."

Chloe kissed her softly. "I promise you that I'm coming home to you, Captain, in one piece. There is no one in this world that means more to me than you, and I will never stop fighting if it means coming home to you."

They shared many kisses, touches, love, and they didn't get sleep that night, but neither minded. They knew what tomorrow would arrive with, but they allowed it to sit at the back of their minds for the time being. They would still be able to communicate with each other, to think of each other and only be a thought away. Beca was terrified. Chloe was fearful. Neither woman exposed this for the sake of the other, but in one another's arms, nothing could come between the love that had grown exponentially over just a few weeks.

* * *

Beca gave Benji a tight hug as Fields readied the vehicle that Stacie would be flying. It was a sleek steel grey plane, and the demons they had retrieved the night prior had been sedated and tied in their seats. There would be twenty passengers aside from that on the flight, all with an unbreakable oath to the defense of their country. Jesse pulled Stacie into a tight embrace, kissing her forehead and telling her to be safe.

"You watch yourself out there, Officer," he hissed into her dark hair.

"You do the same, Officer," she returned, pulling away and ruffling his hair.

When he released her, he moved on to Ashley then the others with the same actions. The company's goodbyes were heartfelt, but the word "goodbye" never escaped their lips. "See ya later" went around the group because they never say goodbye. They would be reunited again, and that was top priority over everything.

As they loaded up the aircraft, Fields headed for the stealth aircraft that he would be flying, Beca and her group as his passengers. His soldiers loaded up their four large bombs, the last of their resorts wrapped in a thick metal. They collected their standard weapons and pulled on fresh fatigues. Even in the tan uniform, Chloe remained most beautiful. She would of course have to shed it before being taken to Cuba, but for now, she donned it with pride. Dawn had only just broken as Stacie steered their plane out of the hangar and up a ramp leading to ground level. Her hair was pulled back in a tight bun, and she wore aviator shades, the chunky earphones with microphone intact pulled down around her head. She gave her captain one last salute before heading down the runway and disappearing amongst the clouds at intense speed due east. With that, Beca and the others descended back down the ramp to climb aboard their own aircraft, a craft intricately designed for speed and stealth, one that had never been used for anything other than intelligence missions. It was a storied vehicle regardless, the basis of many conspiracy theories and UFO tales. Fields took the pilot seat, Reynolds beside him. Twelve other soldiers followed Beca's team into the passenger space, taking a seat. Beca was flanked by Chloe and Aubrey as always, Luke to Aubrey's opposite side and Cynthia Rose beside the redhead. The team clasped hands, bowing their heads and saying a silent prayer for the day. None had ever been too religious, but it had become ritual back in the desert despite different upbringings and beliefs. What they believed in as a whole was each other.

As their aircraft descended into the skies, Beca continued to hold Chloe's hand tightly.

"When we get home, I'm definitely buying out McDonald's," Amy sighed, trying to ease the tension and succeeding if the fit of giggles that followed were anything to go by. "But don't you flat butts worry. I'll put in a good word for you if you ever need a job."

"I request a monthly gift card," Luke told her seriously.

"Whoa there, hotshot, don't expect so much out of the gate, alright? Besides, I'm sure when this is over, you can make big money as the new MGM lion." Another chuckle. "Or we can all do a National Geographic special. I'm sure Stacie won't mind flashing some lady bits."

"Not all Nat Geo specials show breasts, Amy," Aubrey chided.

"Well, the good ones do except they're usually quite saggy. Stacie's always perky even if she hasn't worn a bra since the start of this mission."  
Beca was doubled over by now, holding her stomach as she laughed.

"Maybe Chloe and Beca can do an animal planet s-"

"Okay, enough!" Aubrey screeched, causing her friends to laugh harder.

The rest of the trip went much similar to this, the group joining on Amy's absurd conversation topics for the sake of keeping the mood light. Even Aubrey had a very colorful opinion about nipple piercing and the reason "duct" tape was not called "duck" tape. Jesse was even able to get the whole group in on creating a secret handshake where Chloe gave the most input.

"No, bro, THEN we snap," she told Jesse, concentration written on her face.

"So is it on three or after three?" Cynthia Rose asked concerning the reenactment of a bomb blowing up with her and Aubrey's hand.

"I don't know, but you all have man hands," Amy pointed out.

"Excuse me! "Luke then hollered. "My hands are soft as a baby's bum, thank you."

"I concur," Aubrey added in with a smile in his direction.

"And the colonel's badass reputation drops ten points!" Beca announced in an overly enthusiastic voice. "Don't worry, dude, I'll lend you some."

"While you're at it, lend him some balls to go with it," Amy suggested smugly. "It appears Aubrey has stowed his originals away in a jar somewhere."

The laughs erupted when Beca glanced down at her crotch as if sizing it up, and Chloe slapped her thigh.

"Trust me, Babe, you have enough to go around," she giggled.

Beca jutted out her lower lip with a series of head nods in agreement. Before they knew it however, they were hovering over Miami, and the tension began to build again. Aubrey instinctively took Luke's hand as Beca took Chloe's, and Fields searched for a place to land the aircraft. Beca looked around at her team, smiles slowly falling away and replaced by sullen looks of determination. No fear flashed through the bright eyes around her.

"Okay," she sighed. "When we land, only Luke and Chloe are to exit the vehicle in order to keep our scent out of harm's nose. We will fly back to Barden where we know we'll be safe and set up base at the Posen residence again. How are you feeling, Luke?"

"I'm feeling spritely," he returned.

"I'll take that as a positive thought."

When the aircraft touched down lightly on the beach, the team unbuckled and began the line of "see ya later's" once more. Luke took Aubrey into his tight embrace.

"I'll be home soon," he assured her softly. "This will be the last time we have to part."

"You be safe out there, Colonel," she whispered into his chest. "Come back to me in one piece."

"As always, Lieutenant." He pressed his lips to hers, stroking silky blonde locks. "I love you."

"I love you too. So much."

"I'll be with you right here." He pointed to her heart. "This is my home now, always."

"And this is mine." She put a hand over his heart now. "My heart will always be yours."

"Take care of your sister." Aubrey had told Luke of the revelation the night before.

"Will do."

Chloe wrapped her arms around Beca's neck, the shorter woman kissing her jawline softly as her hands fell around the redhead's waist.

"This is the last time," Beca vowed. "After that, I'm never letting you go."

"I would never let you," Chloe returned, bright-eyed. "You stay strong, Captain, for the team."

"It's first nature. We'll be fine. Don't let them break you. You're a marine now."

"That I am, and in a short time, I've learned from the very best. No one can break me with the love of the legendary Captain Beca Mitchell in my heart."

"Ugh, okay. Way too much sap." Chloe swatted her arm, and she grinned. "I love you, Clifford."

"I love you too, Mitchell."

They shared a passionate kiss before Chloe pecked Beca's forehead and stepped away. She then changed into an old, tattered tanktop and ripped jeans before Luke took her by the arm and descended from the ship. They headed off down the beach towards the docks where Luke would be met by those who would escort them down to Cuba. He had made out a call earlier that morning that he had the president's daughter in custody, and the receiver of the message sounded delighted. Chloe didn't turn back, and Beca did not watch her go. Instead, she gave Fields the green light, and they descended into the sky once more towards Barden.

Stacie pulled their plane into the hangar within the Iraqi military base just east of the palace. Soldiers had flagged them in, and as they exited their unit, they were met with many smiles and handshakes. The president himself stood within the hangar, and he took Benji's hand before hugging the doctor to him.

"It's nice to see you again, Doctor," he greeted warmly.

"As it is you, President," Benji replied with his signature wide grin.

"Come now. Let's get you down into the labs straight away. I have my best staff awaiting you, and they will help you to accomplish your goals."  
"We really appreciate this, Majid. It's an honor to be welcomed back into your country."

"Much has changed since you saved us from our downfall. We have rebuilt, and the economy is blooming again. There are no longer civilians lining the street, dying from hunger and thirst. We have recovered beautifully in four years' time, and as I informed Captain MItchell, we are forever in your debt."

"This will more than even us out, President."

"We will aide you in the restoration of your country as you aided us."

The president and his personal guard led the doctor and his team down into the chemical labs beneath the edge of the city, and they were gigantic with everything Benji could ever possible dream of needing for the mission at hand. He had gone along his mission in his head several times. He would attempt to create ammunition, a capsule that could be shot from any weapon, that would enclose the correct dosage of the correct chemical to take down the demons. A shot to the chest would create a tiny implosion that would not kill the demon, but as the ice of their bodies rid itself of the lead, the chemicals would enter their hearts and spread throughout their bodied to cure them. A shot to the head in most desperate situations would kill them. The bombs they planned on setting off throughout the country would cover an area the size of Texas, and it would save them much time in spreading the solution. It was a long shot. It was very intense thinking, but the shifters had minds that went further and deeper than any other, and they worked with speed that could not be matched by the greatest of chemists and physicists. He would work without sleep until he had a cure that could preserve his company, his family.

The boat ride to Cuba consisted of both Luke and Chloe locked away in separate chambers on the lower deck. Chloe was bound tightly by chains, and Luke had been forced to be rough with her, but her small cuts and scratches healed quickly. Luke had been taken by one of the demon captains for debriefing, and he had already foreseen this. He had his story completely straight, and he delivered it with such confidence that the captain could not readily jump him. Luke knew that he was not only responsible for his survival but Chloe's, and one false move could mean a whole lot of bad news for both of them. He knew the mission. They had to get inside the labs, and they had to understand the machinery at work for creating the demons. It could mean that Chloe could be subject to the mind control system, him as well once again. It would be tough, but they had to be tougher. All Chloe could think about was the island approaching. She could not see it from her tiny cell, but the demon scent grew stronger with each passing minute. She had yet to contact Beca. It was too early. Hearing the brunette's voice would not help her keep it together, and she knew it. With Luke playing as one of their own, Chloe was virtually alone against the hordes of enemies, but she had to be strong now. She had promised her captain.

Fields and his team set up their systems in the Posen home after being able to somehow get electricity flowing through the home. It had taken them all of an hour to do, but they soon had various computers set up around the kitchen, and they had also stocked the place with food and drink, leaving Jesse and Amy to chow down. They had inserted a tracking device into Chloe's ankle, injected into her skin, and they had a read. Beca didn't worry herself with it. She only awaited Chloe's voice to fill her mind. It had been a few hours since they had left the Miami shoreline, but her features refused to portray her worry. She kept a sullen expression adorning them, and her team did not look past it though they knew what lie just beneath the surface.

Aubrey and Jesse prepared dinner as Fields' team piloted a drone over the Cuban island. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary on its surface, but like the captain's expression, it only masked what lie beneath, madness. Beca watched over the man's shoulder, and it looked like a normal day in Cuba. The only inconsistency was the massive presence of uniformed soldiers lining the south shore. They had storage containers peppered across the beach. There was one large container that vehicles would disappear inside in and not return as more vehicles entered. Beca was sure that the entrance to the underground base lay inside, and Fields and Reynolds agreed. Soon, they caught sight of a boat that they assumed held Luke and Chloe. It came up onto the shore, and Beca was surprised when Fields initiated the drone's cloaking device.

"You guys can really do that?" she asked in awe.

"Yeah," he chuckled. "It's not all rumors coming out of old Area 51."

He zoomed in closer to the shore, and Beca could make out Chloe's tiny body being jerked along, something like a pillow case draped over her head to block her vision. She was thrown haphazardly into the back of a small jeep then driven towards the large container after Luke climbed into the backseat, two men flanking him. They disappeared shortly thereafter into the container, and Beca took in a sharp breath, turning away from the monitors and walking outside. Aubrey watched her pass sadly, and Jesse gave her a small nod, excusing her from cooking. She returned it before following her sister out slowly. Beca stood against the railing lining the veranda. Aubrey stepped beside her but did not speak.

"I'm supposed to be the one worrying," Aubrey smirked playfully.

Beca laughed lightly. "You sent a marine. I sent a bubbly redhead with a megawatt smile."

"That you did, but Luke will take care of her."

"Luke can't take care of her. He has to be her enemy down there. I knew that. She knew that. There's no in between here."

"Beca, he'll still watch out for her."

Beca turned now. "Look, Bree, I know you wanna think of him in this bright light on this high pedestal, but let's be realistic here. He rarely saw battle, and they were able to manipulate him because he was weak. For all we know, the radiation will ware off, and he'll be one of them again. He was drafted for simply having an extra piece of equipment between his legs, and his IQ made him colonel. Meanwhile, we went out there and stained ourselves to the bone in blood to earn our keep, and he never had to lift a finger. He could have gone with you guys to get me. He could have turned it all around and gone, and he would have lost nothing when we came home with a victory. He's a fuckin' coward, and I meant everything I said yesterday. He earned nothing, and I adopted him as my brother by the heat of his skin and the fact that he loved you guys and you loved him. I don't hand out respect though, and he's definitely the weakest link in this entire company."

Aubrey was appalled at the sudden outbreak. "How dare you, Beca! We wouldn't even be a team had it not been for him!"

"Yeah, exactly! That's all he did is throw us on a ship and take us away from home! He made us a family! So what! _ OUR _mom made us sisters, but she didn't do shit else, so she has no respect from me! He's the same as that! He uses and uses but does nothing for us! We would be just fine without the bastard."

Aubrey's fists were clenched now, steam rising from her body as she restrained herself from hitting Beca across the face. Beca was gripping the railing now, teeth clenched to keep her own rage in check.

"How can you, Beca?" Aubrey at last breathed. "How can you talk about him that way? We're still a team, and do you not care how you make me feel? I'm your sister, yes, but I feel more distant from you now than I did before we found out. I have been replaced by Chloe!"

"Hey! What I am with Chloe is an entirely different entity from what I am or ever will be with you! No one can replace Chloe, and I know that you've had these extra emotions for me since the beginning that you couldn't understand, and maybe at one point, I did too, but I found my other half, and I honestly think you're only with Luke to forget about those feelings."

"You smug, arrogant bitch! How dare you! I never told you about any of those-"

"Well I knew, Aubrey! I knew, okay? And I ignored it! You're with Luke because he's a safe zone like in a game of fuckin' tag! Everyone saw it! Stacie would mention it while she laid in my bed, feeling guilty as if she was betraying you, and I knew she was fuckin' right, but you're my sister. You were always like a sister to me, and I love you, but I will never love you the way I love Chloe or even more than I love her! No one can replace MY Chloe! We're two halves of the same Marine, but Chloe and I are two halves of one heart, one soul. I could never love you like that, so I ran from it! I _let_ myself love Chloe, but I COULD NOT love you! You have to stop being so fuckin' weak! You're clutching to Luke for dear life because you want someone to love you the way my dad did, the way your dad couldn't!"

The moment the words left Beca's lips, she regretted it. Anger was instantly replaced with hurt and regret on both sisters' faces. Beca didn't know what to say, but she knew she had just made a mistake that could never be taken back. She had just torn a gaping hole in their best friendship, in their sisterhood, in their team, that she could not repair. She opened her mouth to say something, but she could not form words. Aubrey turned now, tearing off her clothes and phasing, racing down the hill and into the dense fog. Beca collapsed onto the stairs, her head in her hands. She repeatedly jammed her palm into her forehead, tears welling up in her eyes. She had just hurt the one person that had never given up on her, the one who had led their platoon to rescue her, to get her home safely. The one who wrote a letter to her everyday during her time in the hospital, the one who had risked reject her to go and get her out of that asylum. She had broken not only Aubrey's trust, but her heart. She had crushed her regardless of the captain speaking the complete truth or not. It was nothing that should have left her lips, and she knew that.

* * *

_Stacie buried her face into Beca's neck as they settled onto her cot, their breaths steadily evening out. Stacie's hand glided along the captain's stomach as Beca threw an arm over her waist. Beca brought her other hand up and through her disarrayed chocolate locks. Their naked bodies stuck to one another with a thin layer of perspiration from both their night's activities and the humidity of the desert, not to mention their natural body heat. Aubrey had vacated the tent once more, but Stacie had not missed the saddened look in those deep emerald eyes, the look of betrayal and anguish._

_"I sort of feel bad," Stacie huffed finally, her fingers drawing circles on Beca's skin._

_"Why?" Beca asked, her eyes closed._

_"She loves you, you know? Like, she really loves you. She's IN love with you, Becs, and I feel like we're betraying her. At least I am for knowing and continuing this."_

_"What are you talking about, Conrad?" When Beca used their surnames, Stacie knew she was playing dumb, and she knew exactly who and what Stacie was referring to._

_"You know what I'm talking about, Mitchell. You just proved it. I can read your tells."_

_Beca snorted. "Can you please just dumb it down? I'm half asleep."_

_"Aubrey loves you, Beca."_

_"Aubrey's like a sister to me."_

_"Maybe to you, but to her, she wants so much more."_

_"We're at war. I can't give her much more."_

_"We have to go home sometime."_

_"I'm not much for all that. She deserves much more than that, more than some broken little girl, only an adult by law, who only knows how to destroy and slaughter. I don't know how to love."_

_"Well, maybe she can teach you."_

_"That's ridiculous, Stace. I love her the same way I love you."_

_"Yeah, but who's the one sharing your bed?"_

_"It could be neither of you."_

_"Oh, come on. Don't be that way, Becs. I'm saying, you knew long ago that she loved you. That's why she's not the one sharing your bed because not only do you know she wants more than that, you respect her AND love her enough not to use her that way and give false hope."_

_"Do I use you?"_

_"That's different. It was me who set the boundaries. It was me who made it clear it would be nothing more than warm sheets. You love her too, and you're scared."_

_"Good night, Conrad."_

_"You can deny it to me all you want, but one day, you're going to see, and it could be much too late because while you're ignoring her attention, someone's giving her all of theirs and working to get hers too."_

_As much as Beca wanted to ask, she knew that asking would completely shatter her reserve, so she pushed it out of her mind and shut her eyes tighter. Yeah, she may love Aubrey a bit more than anyone else, but she could never be with her. It didn't feel right to think about. Their bond was strong, and it was something that wouldn't feel comfortable going to that level. Beca had always known, but she ran from it, avoided it, slept with Stacie so that Aubrey would leave the tent, and she wouldn't have to be so close to her all of the time. She refused to dwell on it. She couldn't allow it because she couldn't love Aubrey that way. Something inside of her assured her that she could not, so she fought it, and she would fight it to the death. She only hoped this other person vying for the lieutenant's attention was strong enough to take care of her because Aubrey would forever be the first one Beca would not only kill for but die for._

Beca's tears fell without restraint. She thought she had broken away from this person, the one who used anger and rage to run from the problem or the issue or the inevitable conversation about feelings, but she had hurt her best friend, her blood. Yes, she loved Aubrey, but she had not lied. Her love for Chloe was so great that it was impossible to run from or deter from, and Aubrey was her sister. The problem was not her however. It was Aubrey. She didn't want Aubrey to need someone. She wanted her to be happy, but she didn't want her to settle. She didn't want her to just be with Luke for stability or safety the way their mother had settled. It was not right, and Luke did not deserve her sister. He had watched from the sidelines as they had gunned down strangers and came home covered in the blood of their enemies yet he had held his head high as if he had done even some of the work. He was a fourth string water boy on a championship team, and it disgusted Beca to no end because Aubrey was a soldier. Aubrey had earned her medals with blood, sweat and tears, and they had earned Luke's medals for him. He didn't deserve her, but neither did Beca. Maybe no one would, and that was the sister instinct inside her, and she needed Aubrey to know that.

Beca stood up, intending to strip down and phase in order to find her sister, but the moment she did, a blood-curdling scream rang through her head like a dog whistle, nearly blowing out her eardrums and causing her to grip the sides of her head in pain. The scream's owner was evident. She knew exactly who was inside her head, the only one with the ability. The sound rang through her mind, filling her completely and engulfing her. Before she could react, her eyes rolled to the back of her head, and she collapsed onto the porch, everything around her going black...


	13. To Mend What Has Been Broken

**_A/N: So as we come closer and closer to the end, things are a little more high stakes. I apologize for that last cliffhanger lol I just read a review that said they were glad I didn't do cliffhangers, and then...I did it, but it was completely not on purpose. That was just how I had mapped out to end that chapter beforehand. Either way, thanks for continuing this journey with me. I will admit, its a bit angsty from here on, but how can't it be with our couple away from each other and in harm's way? So here's the next installment._**

_He was cocky. He was arrogant. He was many things, but one thing he had never been was fearful. He had killed off the mutants with mere puppets of his choosing, an angry college student, a drunken driver or two, simple suicides, and many others. Yet, he had never expected their children to be so strong, so rebellious, so driven to fight for their country. Marines. Fuckin' marines. While he and his army infantry had done all the work all of those years ago, the Marines would swoop in at the very end and steal their glory. His brother had done it to him, but he was much stronger than his brother. Then his own brother and that fucking scientist had turned him to this, this monster neither dead or much alive. Still, he had power in this form, and he would take out these silly marines and their plans to stop him. He had after all got his hands on one of them, their weakest link, the scared little colonel who had never even been in battle. His mind had given him ranking, but he had never had to pick up a weapon. It was not him they had to worry about. He had delivered. He had brought their most sought after target, the daughter of that crazed scientist that had turned him to this thing. No, it was the crazed captain he had to worry about. He thought it would be fine. She was locked away in a hospital, deep in its belly never to be fit to leave, and her company had not been heard from in years. The only one left had been that damned Secretary of State, but she was nothing on her own. Then suddenly, the captain had returned, gathering her troops, believing they could save the world. Silly children. They were as dense and hard-headed as their parents, and they would die of the same fate. He was already cutting into them, seizing their colonel and turning him against them._

_He could see the thin, redheaded woman doing everything in her power to keep the fear hidden, the pain at bay as his minions attacked her with whips and slaps, punches and the butts of their guns. She bit down on her lip so as to not cry out. She was what he needed. She had had two parents with the gene, and she would give him the power that he had obsessed over, pined over, desired more than anything since discovering his brother's secret. He would wash away his brother's name from history, burying the branch of marines forever beneath its depths, and he would be the most renowned soldier in the world. All countries would bow at his feet, and never would anyone steal his glory again, especially not the cursed daughter of an English teacher and a bakery chef. _

_"You tell me where she is!" one of his men screamed into the girl's face, slamming his fist into the side of her face again. "You tell me now!" Chloe spit into the man's eye, eliciting another crack into her nose, blood gushing out instantly.  
"That is enough for now," Galbraith said calmly. "Take her back to the cell. Tomorrow we begin the treatment. Our doctors are sure it will work this time. For now, hook Bryant back up. We have to make sure he doesn't have a change of heart any time soon." _

* * *

Jesse was just about ready to give up, his eyes red and wary as he gazed down at his captain. Cynthia Rose and Lily still had not returned from finding Aubrey, and it had been almost a full day. The signal implying Chloe's whereabouts had been disrupted just as they heard the soft thud of Beca hitting the ground. Jesse, thinking the sisters were physically fighting after hearing them yell, came outside to find Beca lying lifeless on the porch, Aubrey nowhere to be found. He wasn't sure what had happened, if Aubrey had hit her, but he wouldn't know when he couldn't question either.

Beca's breathing was shallow, and she tossed and turned but would not awaken. She had a look of pure agony etched across her face, and he knew something was going on inside of her head, but he had no idea what, and they still had been unable to wake her. One of Fields' medics had checked here over but could only come to the conclusion that she was in a self-induced coma. Jesse didn't know what to do, but quickly, their team was falling apart.

* * *

_"Captain," Luke sighed as they entered the barracks, the soldiers forming a line before them. "I would like you to meet your special operations team. Soldiers, introduce yourselves to Captain Beca Mitchell."_

_Beca squared her shoulders, making her way down the line and stopping at a salute before each soldier as they introduced themselves._

_"Chief Warrant Officer Benji Applebaum. Field Medic and chemical, bio, radiological and nuclear defense specialist, Captain."  
"What's your specialty, Officer?" The captain questioned._

_Benji flashed her a large grin, eager to share his special form. "Specialty: 'gorilla' warfare."_

_She moved along. "Officer Denise Eldridge, Captain. Specialty: Komodo Dragon."_

_To anyone else, it would sound as if they were sounding off martial arts moves or something of the sort, and Luke could not help but grin. These were indeed the military's most special forces._

_"Officer Ashley Carter. Specialty: Snow Leopard, Captain."_

_"Officer Jessica Richards. Specialty: Cheetah, Captain."_

_"Officer Amy 'Fat Amy' Wilson, Captain." She had a thick Aussie accent. "The Big Hitter. Machine Gunner and SatCom Technician. Specialty: Kangaroo Jack." Beca nearly burst into laughter but moved along._

_"Chief Warrant Officer Stacie Conrad, Captain. Pilot and chemical, bio, radiological and nuclear defense specialist_._ Specialty: Red Fox."_

_"Chief Warrant Officer Jesse Swanson. Assault Amphibious Vehicle Officer and air ground attack specialist. Specialty: Black Bear."_

_"Officer Lily Onakuramara." Beca had to lean in to hear her whisper this. "Anti-tank missiles and Machine gunner. Data Chief. Specialty: tiger forces."_

_"Second Lieutenant Cynthia Rose Dean. Air defense Control and machine gunner. Ground Vehicle driver. Specialty: Black Panther." Beca nearly chuckled once more, but stopped herself._

_"Welcome officers. I am Captain Beca Mitchell. I will be your immediate superior and field commander, but I invite all opinions. I am unorthodox. I am spontaneous. I am NOT traditional in any sense of the word. My specialty: The Wolf. We are a team now, and soon, we will be like family. I watch your back. You watch mine. The goal? To bring our country victory because we are set aside from every other soldier. We-are specialized in and out."_

Beca had been in a very unsettling sleep for three days when Cynthia Rose and Lily sidled into the house, Aubrey close behind them. She rushed to the brunette's side, who was laying on the mattress set out in the living room. Jesse turned to face her now, eyes drawn together. Aubrey looked up at him slowly.

"What happened?" she asked.

"I was hoping you could tell me," he replied sternly.

"What do you mean? I left, and she was fine."

"Right after you guys were done yelling, I went out, and she was passed out."

"What are you insinuating, Officer?"

"Okay, Bree, do not come to me that way. I'm here as a brother right now."

"I didn't do anything to her if that's what you think! You think I could! I took off!"

"Well, right before I found her, Chloe's tracking device went out." Aubrey's eyes widened at the revelation, and she dropped to her knees beside the captain, taking her hand gently. "Self-induced coma as the doc put it, but I couldn't be too sure."

"So, we don't know if Chloe's okay."

"No, we don't, and it's been three days." He gave her a pointed look.

"I just-needed to get away." She looked away now.

Now Jesse kneeled beside her, taking his finger and tucking it under her chin, bringing her face up to meet his eyes. He could read the fear and pain behind hers.

"Bree, listen to me, okay? I know that tension is high, but we are in no position for this high school drama at all. If she was awake, I would tell her the same thing. This isn't time for this sibling bickering. We need our captain _and _our lieutenant. We all do, Luke and Chloe included. I can't be playing referee to this. Do you understand?"

"Yes, I do."

"Now, go get some food. We can't do much for her right now."

_She was in a building she did not recognize, staring through a large window. She could see Chloe, strapped to a chair surrounded by vicious demons who were beating her mercilessly. They wanted her. They wanted to know where she was. They wanted to end her, to take out the remaining barrier between them and world control. A man sat on a raised platform in an office chair of sorts, dressed in Army fatigues and a green beret. It was a mocking gesture, she presumed, but somehow she knew who he was. He was the one that had orchestrated all of this, tearing America apart piece by piece, starting with the assassination of the President and his cabinet. It was Dillon Galbraith, the man who fancied himself not only the American President but a god, no different than the old Iraqi dictator aside from the fact he was a demon now by their definition. She tried to break through the glass, enter the room and kill every single one of the bastards, to save Chloe, but she could not move. She could only watch on as they beat her until her head hung. They had her tightly bound. What would be the consequence of her phasing now? They would surely kill her in a battle, but she may have been able to cause a ruckus. No, Beca knew now. Chloe was scared. She had been scared from the start. She sat there trying to hide it, but the captain could read it in her dim blue eyes. She was terrified, and Beca had let her go. She had to save her. She had to..._

Beca jolted upright, covered in sweat as she cried out. She was heaving heavy breaths, and she felt nauseous. She jumped up, rushing to the sink in the kitchen and dumping the little contents of her stomach into it. The team was awoken by the scream and the body-wrenching heaves of their captain, and Jesse jumped from the couch. Aubrey had been laying on the mattress beside her sister, and she was out of bed in a flash and in the kitchen. Beca at last felt relieved enough to straighten, but she kept a firm grip on the counter for support. Aubrey rubbed circles on her back as Jesse fetched her a bottle of water. He handed it to her, and she sipped some, gurgling it and spitting it in the sink before guzzling more water and swallowing it then breathing deeply once more. Aubrey continued the soothing circles on the brunette's back until she at last stood. She walked towards the back porch, and Jesse and Aubrey followed obediently. The captain leaned against the rail for a moment before flopping down on the floor of the veranda, leaning against the railing now as she took more deep breaths. Jesse and Aubrey sat against the wall of the house, and Cynthia Rose soon joined him. They all stayed quiet, awaiting the captain as she gained her composure. She downed the rest of her water bottle.

"What-" she began, gulping down air. "What happened?"

"You've been in a self-induced coma for a week now," Jesse informed her softly. "Eight days."

"I-I heard, it was a scream. Chloe was screaming."

"You passed out when Chloe's tracking device went out."

"It went out?"

He nodded, wincing as he did so, awaiting her outburst. "Yes, Captain."

"I-that wasn't a dream."

"What wasn't?" Cynthia asked.

"The-what I saw. She was in a room, and they-were beating her."

"No, Becs, it was just-"

"No, listen to me. Chloe and I, we can-communicate, through our thoughts and memories, even in human form. I heard her scream, right before I blacked out, and it-it was horrible. That was a week ago though, and I've been having that dream over and over. Galbraith was there, and they were trying to beat her for information. A couple of times, they hooked her up to a machine. Luke was there, but he was hooked up to a different machine. This-this one was different. Galbraith was hooked up to it too."

"They're trying to transfer her power."

"Well, it isn't working, and it's gonna kill her. I have to go. I have to-"

"Beca, we can't just go in here."

"I can't just sit here and wait to see how it pans out! I saw Luke! He's been turned into one of them again, and she's alone! The mission was a complete bust!"

Jesse took a deep breath and stood up. "Okay, Becs, let me just-check in Benji to see what we can do, okay? I'll see what he has so far. Just give me a moment. Cynthia."

Cynthia followed Jesse into the house, and Aubrey got up to follow, but Beca was up in a flash. She took Aubrey's face in her hands, pulling her so close that their foreheads touched, Aubrey gasping at the sudden movement. They locked eyes, and Aubrey gripped her elbows.

"I meant what I said," Beca breathed, "but I didn't mean to say it the way I did. I love you, Aubrey, and I love you as my sister. I wish I could give you everything you deserve, so I wouldn't have to see you struggle like this. Our mom let you suffer. Your dad let you suffer. _My _father let you suffer. I refuse to. You're my sister, my best friend, and I love you so much that it kills me, but I don't want you to settle, Aubrey. You're better than that. You're better than Luke. You're better than any man in this world, and I know that doesn't leave much, but there will be someone better. I'm asking you not to settle because I wish I _could _love you that way, but I felt it from the beginning that we were not meant to be together. I knew that I would always hold a special place in my heart for you, but our relationship was never meant for that level. Something in the back of my mind always told me that, and now I know why. We're blood. You deserve the very best, and maybe I got the big sister instinct, but just know that I only want what's best for you. You can never be replaced, Bree, and I am sorry for making you feel like you had been. I know you were just confused about your feelings, and now you understand them the way I do, and I'm sorry for taking my anger out on you, but we have to stick together now, so I am begging for your forgiveness and understanding this once. Just know that I will always love you more than enough to make up for our parents. Do you understand me?"

Aubrey nodded slowly, her eyes welling up with tears as Beca firmly pulled her into a tight embrace. The taller sister wrapped her arms around her sister's back, holding her as tightly as possible as she silently cried into her neck, warm tears hitting Beca's skin. They stood there for what seemed like ages, but they didn't mind. They allowed the chasm that had developed between them to gradually shut. It may never be mended fully, but Beca would do her very best to make sure it came as close as possible.

"I love you, Becs, and I'm sorry for letting this come between us," Aubrey breathed. "I've been a stubborn child, and I'm so sorry. I just want you happy."

"I know, but right now, I just need my lieutenant, okay?" Beca whispered, and Aubrey nodded again. "But I will always need my big sister. I promise."

* * *

Beca and Aubrey entered the house to find Cynthia Rose and Jesse seated around the table with Fields, Reynolds, and Amy. Jesse stood when they entered.

"Benji still only has the prototype," he began. He doesn't have the ammunition yet, and he's trying to increase the speed of the work, but he only had so many test subjects. They're having to make due with the same ones over and over."

Beca sighed. "Look, I know why we're here, what we're here for. Of course I do, but I cannot allow her to die. I could give you some bullshit excuse about the fact that if she dies, the whole first half of this mission was in vain. I could tell you that if she dies, we would be in big trouble. Yeah, or I could just order you to go down there as your captain, but-I will not. Chloe is my responsibility, far beyond ranking or uniform or career-related altogether. I love her. I am in love with her, and that overrules any judgement I have ever had prior. Call Benji and tell him I give him three days. Three days, and no matter the outcome, I'm going down there of my own accord, on my own. There's a good chance she's already gone, but I need to at least try. She's in trouble, and we've lost Luke again. She's alone, and she's my responsibility, and only mine."

"See that's where you're wrong, Cap," Cynthia Rose interjected, now standing with Amy, Lily now entering the kitchen. "You remember what you told us the first day you met us? We're a team. We're a family. You watch our back. We watch yours. We go where you go, of our own accord regardless of any orders."

"Damn skippy, Cap," Amy added. "We're a family, and we won't fall divided."

"The kangaroo speaks truth, Captain" Jesse grinned. "We ride together, we die together. Marines for life."

Beca chuckled. "You and your damn movies, Swanson."

"Yeah, but you caught the reference, Mitchell."

"We're with you, Captain," Aubrey now came in. "To the end."

"You can't leave us behind. We're coming whether you like it or not."

"We're not our parents, Becs. You said it. We're in this together."

"I can't let you do that, guys. I'm sorry, but I can't. We'll need you guys here when Benji does get it going, and you'll need to put this country back together. I'm going alone."

And with that, she exited the room.

* * *

_Chloe watched as the man stumbled from the chair. Galbraith was a large man, barrel chested with thick tree-trunk arms and a thick brown beard. He had not aged since the transformation, but now as they went through yet another shock treatment, he looked much older. His silver eyes were wary, and his body seemed frail. He had a scowl on his face. Another failed treatment. Chloe's body was weak. She had tried to contact Beca after the first round of interrogation before Galbraith to no avail. The treatment was weakening her senses. She had even tried to phase with no luck. She had seen Luke, and his eyes had gradually gone from stormy grey to bright silver after endless shock therapy. She knew they had lost him. "The weakest link". The words were being chanted in her head each time she looked at him, and it disgusted her. He wouldn't look at her, meet her dim blue gaze. She was exhausted, and her body shook from the aftershock of the treatment. Blood stained her shirt from the various nose bleeds she suffered. The wounds she earned after each session of questioning healed slower and slower each time. The wounds from the day prior still bled now, and she knew what it meant. They were weakening her, and soon, it would kill her. The treatment wasn't giving Galbraith power, but it was surely robbing her of it._

_"You said it would work!" the man roared at those running the machine. "Do something!"_

_"I don't know what else you expect me to do, Sir," the man replied in a distant tone._

_"Fix it! We need this to work!"_

_He turned on her now, rushing forth and gripping her by the neck, squeezing the life from her eyes, the oxygen from her lungs. Her eyes bulged as she choked. There was nothing but hatred and anger in his cold silver eyes._

_"It was him!" he growled. "You're foolish father did this to me! Him and my worthless brother! You tell me where that fucking captain is, so I can take care of all of you then I won't need these fucking powers! I won't have any more rebels around me!"_

_He shoved her back into the chair, releasing her from his grasp. She gasped for her, her eyes rolling back if only for a second. She had been fighting sleep for days now because she knew if she slept, she would have no chance._

_"Tell me where they are!" he demanded. "Tell me!"_

_"Kill me," she returned in the iciest tone possible. "Kill me, but I will never tell you."_

_"Loyalty will get you nowhere! They left you here! They're not coming for you!"_

_"But they'll come for you! One day, when I'm no longer of use to you. When you've killed yourself over this obsession, they'll come and tear you to pieces."_

_One cold fist smashed into Chloe's nose, the shattering of bone echoing through the chamber, and causing everyone present to cringe._

_"Take her back to the chamber. I need rest." _

_Chloe heard this last statement from Galbraith in the distance before everything went black for her at last, and she could no longer fight it..._

* * *

Beca had been trying to contact Chloe for hours, but there was still no response. She sat out on the patio after a light meal that she could barely keep down, and she was frustrated to no end. They had given Benji the order. He had three days to give them something, and she was going into Cuba in three days with or without it. As Beca sat overlooking the vast backyard of the Posen estate, Jesse stepped out of the house and sat beside her, his back resting against the wall once more.

"How you holding up?" he asked softly, looking over the yard as well.

"I'll be fine. I'm more anxious than anything. You know me," she replied.

"Yeah, all about the battle."

"Sadly, I don't even know how I became such a monster."

"You know, Cap, since the day I met you, I felt like I knew you, but that wasn't true, was it? You were a big box of surprises, but I trusted you from day one. I mean, we were strangers then we were really close then we were just average friends, but we were always a family. I mean, you always kept this faith in me."

"Let me tell you something, Jess. From day one, you were always, to me, a kid, a baby brother. You had your goofy grin and your movie knowledge, and I thought 'how could he be a soldier?' Yet, when we went overseas, you showed me. I heard how they talked about you in training. That's why I stood up for you to Bumper that day in mess hall. You proved to me and everyone else on that frontline that you're so much more than a movie geek whose best friend was a Stars Wars geek and closet magician." She chuckled, and he grinned. "They pushed you and Benji around, but I saw the potential. I trusted you then with my life, and I trust you now."

"I just want you to understand, Beca, that you've always thought that you were alone. Sure, you called us family. You treated us as equals regardless of rank, but I could always see behind that smirk. You hid yourself away from us. You never told us about your parents or any of that, and we never really told you either, but you kept us at arms' length more so, and yet, we loved you. We just wanted you to let us. You know how my dad died?"

"Jesse, you don't-"

"No, listen. My dad was the American Marine you know. I had known that. I never thought he had been a Marine that long, you know, but he was. He was ashamed of me because of how I was. Of course no one could ever see little old pacifist me as a Marine. He was ashamed, and the last thing he told me was that he never wanted to face a life raising a faggot son. That night, he went out and got wasted. They found him in his truck with a bullet in his head and a gun in his lap. Now, with all this shit coming out, I don't know if he really did it or if it was set up, but it was right after he finally retired for my mother's sake, but the worst part? He was angry at me because of what he lost. You know, I have a younger brother."

"You do?"

"Well, I did. He was two years younger than me, but he was a lot tougher than I was. While I helped my mom bake, he was playing action figures and dressing up in my dad's old uniforms."

"Wait, Jess, is this you coming out to me?"

He chuckled and swatted her shoulder. "No, Becs, I like women. A lot. Don't worry."

"Oh, I wouldn't mind. I was just trying to make it easier on you."

"Well, no, but thanks. Anyway, Matt was-he was the son my dad wanted, but when he was ten, he went outside. He was-by the pool, and he was running around. I was up in my room with Benji helping with his magic tricks, and-he-well, Matt slipped, cracked his head open and fell in. My mom and dad came home, and she went out there looking for him, and-well, she found him. I-I heard the screaming and ran down with Benji. My dad saw us, and-he was so angry, calling me every name in the book. Benji went home, and the cops were called, and he-blamed me. Told me it was all my fault, and I-believed him. Anyway, the next night he told me that then he was dead. I spent my whole life after feeling guilty. When Luke offered Benji and I spots in his special forces company, we both said yes right away. Benji's mother had just passed, and well, my mother hadn't spoken to me much since all that, so I went, and you-you were like the first person to really believe in me, to pick me for the biggest missions and take me with you."

She cupped his shoulder now. "Jesse, you're a great soldier, with or without being a shifter. You're smart, and you're careful, and you put your team first. I couldn't ask for much more than that. Yeah, we all have these issues in our past, and it's hard for me to say that I've been most distant from you guys yet, my mom and dad really loved me, well the mom I knew. I refused to love because I lost those who loved me, and it's selfish. You were treated that way, and still you love with your whole heart. Aubrey too and Stacie and the rest. I wasn't treated bad, and here I am, turning you guys away half the time, but the truth is, I do love you guys. I told you that, but it's hard for me to admit it. It really is, but I do. I always will."

He threw an arm around her now. "We know that, Becs, but we want you to let us love you back. I'm just telling you right now. You never have to worry about us hurting you. I understand. There has always been that possibility that one of us won't come home, but we can't let fear keep us from trusting and loving each other. That's what it was. You think that you're protecting us by going alone, but in reality, you're only hurting us. You realize you love us, but what you're forgetting is that we love you too. We're not staying behind. We're a team. You go, we go. No order you issue can change the fact that we're family. You said it yourself. I showed you my potential. The rest did too. We came for you in that palace, but you suffered for so long before that. I won't let that happen again. So what I'm saying is that we're going. End of discussion."  
She smiled. "Well, I guess I can't argue with that. Way to turn the tables, Swanson, making me boost your ego for your own benefit to turn it against me."

"Classic movie plot."

"Oh, shut up."

* * *

Every time the silence set in, that scream echoed through her head. She was sitting in the living room now, her team trying to get some sleep. She had awakened from her coma two days prior, but still, she refused sleep. The nightmares came, ones she could not control, and she no longer received Chloe's thoughts or memories. Therefore, sleep was pointless. She had been calling Benji everyday, and everyday he told her they had progress but not quite success as of yet. He tried to talk her down from going to Cuba, but he knew in his heart he could not stop her. President Khadduri was ready to hand over the army, but they would be useless going in there without Benji's products, so she told him they needed Benji's work completed first. Fields had readied the ship for whenever she was ready to go, spraying it down with the chemical solution once more. She had run her fingers along the bombs in its carriage multiple times, but she knew she could not drop them and hope for a miracle. They could take out all of those soldiers on the shore, but that would probably throw those below into a panic and lock everything down, put Chloe in more danger. She needed a way in, and that was what she now focused on as she clambered out of bed and flopped down at the table.

She looked over the maps of Cuba again, going over all of the information they had. She pulled up the drone view on Fields' computer.

"Luke said there was a sewage drain to the ocean," she hissed to herself.

She zoomed in along the edges of the island, carefully surveying every inch of it. At last, she spotted a small cove that appeared to have a different color of water than the ocean blue water. The water that first entered the cove from the drain went through what looked to be a high white gate of sorts that purified the water significantly before it entered the ocean. She piloted the drone down towards the cove. Sure enough, there was an opening there, a silver pipe jutting slightly from a raised part of the ground, like a small plateau. There didn't seem to be any guard or security around the entrance. There were small shacks that lined this strip of beach, and all seemed at peace. As she zoomed in closer, a loud groan made her freeze. She looked around for the source of the sound, standing up and striding into the living room. No one stirred, but the sound came again, this time clearer with ragged breaths interlaced. It only took her another moment to realize it was coming from inside her head.

"Chloe?" she called out in her mind. "Chloe, can you hear me?"

The groan echoed again, but it was the only response she received. She figured that though she could hear Chloe, Chloe could not hear her or she could not respond. She may have been sleeping, but at least Beca could be assured that she was still alive, only barely maybe but alive nonetheless. Her heartbeat quickened at the sound until it faded and disappeared altogether, silence falling upon her again. This meant there was still time. There wasn't much, but there was time. She quickly reached for the communication device they had been using to call Benji on the computer and dialed him. He answered after the first few seconds.

"Benji," she breathed hoarsely.

"Cap?" he replied.

"Yeah, how's it going?"

"Still working over here on this ammunition."

"What are the chemicals that you are using?"

"Well, we've narrowed it down that a very precise mixture of iridium and plutonium will cure the sickness in the dosage for the shell we have. Iridium and Uranium with just a bit of plutonium will kill them on just that same dosage. I'd say another week, Cap, and I can have enough ammunition to at last make a really large dent in their Cuban forces in the hands of our best shooters."

"I can give you two more days. Chloe's alive."

"She is? Thank God. How do you know?"

"We can talk, in our heads when we're human, but she was groaning, and she can't hear me. I can hear her though, so I know she's alive, but she isn't well. I've found an entrance, it's the one Luke used to escape, but do you think we would be able to use the stuff at the old lab here in Barden to at least cause some kind of reaction?"

"Well, from the research we've done here, the stuff in those old containers is probably a lot of uranium. See, Barden is a military town, you know, and they must have had nuclear research done there because based on the effect on the air, it has to be uranium."

"Is there anything we can do with it?"

"Well, it would probably disrupt their senses, but if it touches them and gets inside their skin, it has the ability to kill, yes."

"So, let's say I took some of it and covered a dagger or a blade in it, would it do damage?"

He pondered it a moment. "Well, yeah, based on the research, it should. I never thought of that at all. My apologies, Cap. It will definitely at least put them out of commission awhile. It would be like their kryptonite. It would weaken them."

"Okay, well we can use it to bide time. We leave in two days regardless of anything. If you're not done by then, I'll need you and that army to meet us down there. Understood?"

"You got it, Cap."

"And Benji?"

"Yes?"

"Thank you."

"Don't thank me, Cap. We're family. Always. You stay safe."

"Always, Officer."

With that, she hung up and went to round up her troops. She shook awake Jesse first, a finger to her lips to keep him quiet. He stood swiftly, and she moved on to Aubrey, Amy, Cynthia Rose and Lily. They stood without awakening Fields or anyone else. They followed her out of the front door silently, and once they were down the hill a ways, she turned to them.

"We're going to the old Barden lab. Benji says that if we can get some of what's in the chemical container there, it will help us at least get through a few demons and into the base. We dip some blades in there, and it should create a nice coat around it. I found the sewage line Luke escaped through on the camera, and I just heard Chloe groaning in my head. She's still alive, but she's in very poor condition. She can't hear me, so we don't have much time. We leave in two days. I've given Benji an extra day, but that's it."

"No worries, Cap," Jesse assured her. "We're still all in. Lead the way."

With that, Beca shed her clothes, the others following before shifting. The night sky was cloudy, rain threatening to spill over any minute as the wolf appeared beneath the dim moonlight. Beca broke into a top speed sprint down the road towards the old Barden laboratories. Fear was at last replaced by full determination. There was still hope. They still had a chance to save Chloe. She may have lost the majority of hope for Luke, and it pained her to think so, but she had to bring Chloe home no matter how selfish the reason. Her team understood that, but she made a vow, and Captain Beca Mitchell never made a promise she couldn't keep. She never betrayed her word.


	14. Blood is thicker than Water, not Stone

**_A/N: So yes, the climax comes with haste, but don't you flat butts worry. I got this. We're here now, and everything is on high. I've been wrestling with these last few chapters, and I know, I know. Everyone wants a happy ending, but for the sake of some sort of reality, there are things that have to come to fruition in order for a team to rebuild, wouldn't you say. So without further ado, I give you the next installment. Enjoy..._**

_Chloe's eyes fluttered open, but her vision remained pitch black. The floor beneath her was cold and damp, and she wiped a hand across her face. She was covered in a thin layer of sticky sweat, but she tasted blood no longer. She had been in that cell for quite a long time. She knew that, but she felt better than she had before being thrown into the cell. She sat up slowly, muscles taut and sore from sleeping on hard ground. As she repositioned herself, she could hear voices outside of her chamber. One unmistakably belonged to Luke, and the other was one she did not recognize. She rubbed her eyes before feeling for the wall, placing her ear against it to better hear the conversation. She was still an honorary Marine. She still had a mission to do, and she would be damned if she had been subject to such torment and torture for no reason. She needed information, and she needed to speak to Beca. She could bet that the brunette was worried sick, and she had to give her an update, but as she listened to the conversation, recording it in her mind, she could not believe what she was hearing. She had never imagined how big of an operation could be run beneath the island of Cuba by a man such as Galbraith, and she knew this was much bigger than the company had ever imagined. They thought they had time. They thought that as long as Chloe was still alive, they had time. No, Galbraith was no amateur. He was smarter than they gave him credit for. He had a plan that would work with or without their company, and in his weakened state, he had become desperate. He could kill off the Marines in the process of gaining control of the world. Now, he would set forth his main plan into action._

_Chloe leaned back against the wall, taking long and deep breaths before concentrating hard on the objective at hand. She had to contact her captain. She had to get in touch with her. The entire human race may depend on it. Galbraith didn't give a damn about America. He was after so much more, and he had orchestrated the perfect plan. They had been on a path to destruction from the start, and at any given time, Galbraith could have ended it. He didn't need them. It was just an obsession, but he realized now that he had the power to completely wipe the shifters from the face of the earth once and for all, never to be outdone by them again. He just wanted control, and he didn't mind staying in Cuba one bit if it meant the complete fall of the country that had denied him glory for so many years._

* * *

"Becs, you have to eat," Aubrey insisted, sliding the plate of venison and eggs closer to her sister. "We won't get anything done if you don't eat, and you haven't slept."

"Stand down, lieutenant," Beca yawned, digging a fork into the eggs regardless.

She had given Benji until the next afternoon to give her something, but he had yet to contact them that day. The team had spent their night filling multiple containers full of chemical concoctions. They had found buckets at the lab site, and they had pulled them on a wagon of sorts back to the estate, laying them in the backyard. They had been soaking multiple daggers since, and the sun was now high in the sky. Sleep had yet to come to the captain. As she shoveled eggs into her mouth, Jesse sipped coffee from a thermos Fields offered him. Fields was now conducting surveillance on the sewage line Beca had discovered. He had been at it along with Cynthia Rose since sun up, working overtime to make sure that their plan was perfect. Suddenly, Beca's fork fell from her hand. Her team glanced up at her as she squeezed her eyes shut tight.

"What's wrong, Becs?" Aubrey asked, but Beca put a hand up for silence.

She swiftly stood from the table and stepped out onto the back porch, Aubrey and Jesse now at the door watching her intently. She seemed to be concentrating hard on something, but they didn't dare move or disturb her, so they watched silently, awaiting a reply.

"Chloe?" she thought, standing completely still as if to get better reception.

"Becs?" Chloe's voice came back shakily, and Beca sighed in relief.

"Oh, Chloe, thank God. Are you okay?"

"Look, Becs, I need you to listen to me very carefully. Galbraith has another plan. He's been trying to transfer my powers from me to him, and it isn't working for him. It's making him really weak, but all he wants right now is to take down America and draw you out, but he will kill you if he has to. He doesn't care anymore. When they took the White House, he stole the nuclear football. That means he has control of all twenty-six of the country's official nuclear weapons remotely, and he can aim them at any target he pleases."

"So...he's gonna take us out?"

"No, Becs, I wish it was that easy, but no. He's going to hit Japan, Russia and the middle east. He's going to have the entire world after our heads. They-they're gonna kill me soon because he knows I won't give you up, and he can't use me until-"

"No, Chloe, okay. Listen to me. We are coming. You sit tight. I'm getting Benji online right now, but you have to be strong for me, Baby. How long?"

"He wants to launch in four days. Beca, we-we lost Luke. He's one of them. His eyes are silver, and he's been helping with the machine. They have a bunch of little kids here too. Children, Beca, with no parents, and they are going to bring the world down on us."

"I got this, okay? Do you trust me?"

"Yes."

"Then, when I get close, I'm going to contact you, and when I do, I need you to phase. You need to stay out of the chair no matter what, Chlo, okay?"

"Okay."

"Alright. I love you."

"I love you too."

With that, Beca's eyes popped open, and she looked at her team.

"What's going on, Beca?" Jesse asked once more, eyebrow quirked.

"We have a lot more than shock therapy to worry about right now."

After a few brief calls, Beca gathered her group around the kitchen table, and Fields was able to get Benji as well as President Khadduri on the line. They all listened intently for Beca's address. She stood in front of the webcam, and she looked over her team a moment, trying to form the correct words. What was now at stake was far beyond anything they could have ever imagined, and she had no idea how to break it to them, but she had to be strong. This was their job, the life they were given.

"Galbraith is planning on starting World War III," she began, straight to the point. "When he destroyed the White House, he got his hands on the nuclear football, the controls to all twenty-six of America's nuclear missiles. He plans on hitting targets in Japan, Russia and the middle east. He wants to launch in four days, and he's going to kill President Beale's daughter. Our colonel, Luke Bryant, has been compromised. Once they bring the world against America, he will orchestrate from Cuba when it all gets shot to hell. It is then that he will use the remainder of his missiles to fully attack Japan and China in battle for dominance. That means we have four days to prevent a world war. Benji, that leaves you no extra time. I have called Japan. They denied my request for help. However, a team of Hong Kong chemists, physicists and scientists are on their way to assist you." Benji grinned proudly. "My team and I leave for Cuba at 0300 two days from now. Recon has been bypassed. Benji, I will be sending you the specific maps of the island, where the presence lies, our personal entrance and where I need you stationed. Now, if we fail to take down the base or Galbraith, our top priority is to open up the entrance used by their personnel so that Master Sergeant Fields here can drop some lead. That is our last resort. Am I clear here?" Everyone gave the affirmative. "Now, President, I thank you for your full cooperation, and I understand that this is a lot to take in, but I do promise you that I am here to protect your country just as much as I am here to protect mine."

"I don't doubt that for a second, Captain," he replied. "My army is your army."

"Good, because we're gonna need it. Okay, let's move out."

Benji and his team along with the aide of Hong Kong's finest and Iraqi's best worked through the next two nights, focused solely on the plan at hand with the thought of knowing that it was for the safety of their countries and possibly humanity as a whole. Beca was hovering over maps of sorts and battle plans with Fields and her two lieutenants. Chloe stayed in contact with her throughout the day, assuring her that she had healed up and had still not been taken from the chamber. Beca assured her she just had to bide a bit more time before they could make a move. If Beca moved too quickly into the territory, making her presence known, Galbraith would surely launch sooner than originally planned. They had to play this by the book because it really was no longer just Chloe's life on the line. It was the lives of billions.

On the night before the departure of Beca's team, Chloe contacted her.

"How are you holding up, Clifford?" Beca asked, attempting to calm the other woman.

"I'm doing just fine over here, Mitchell, and you?" she asked, a weak smile on her face.

"Oh, you know me. Anxious for battle."

"Yeah, this is where your inner demon awakens."

"Now, Chloe, when you sense us close, I need you to get out of there. Can you do that?"

"I can break out of this room, yes."

"Do you know where Galbraith's lair is?"

"He doesn't sleep there. His office is the same place we have the treatment."  
"So have you seen the football?"

"I know what it looks like, but he has many cases in that office I only see the side of."

"That's going to have to be your mission, Chloe. Once we start the chaos, I need you to find that football. Now, you've been listening obviously. Do you have an idea about his schedule at all?"

"Well, he sleeps a lot lately, but I heard Luke say that they transport him to the southern end of the base every night. They switch guards outside my room when they go get him, so by my times, its about twelve to fourteen hours from drop-off to pick-up for him. I'm pretty sure that the room I'm kept in is underneath his office. They take me through a door inside the office and down some stairs each time, and I just pretended to be unconscious once."

Beca couldn't help but grin. "You're learning fast, Marine."

"I sure am trying."

"Okay, baby, well, we leave dark and early in the morning, so I will see you soon."

"Be safe, Captain."

"As always. Be safe, soldier."

"As always."

The fatigues and kevlar vests had been doused in the chemical solution as were the daggers. They gave off a very strong smell that Beca was more than sure would mask their scent. They had been human for the majority of the last two weeks of course, and that faded it. Ammunition was soaked in it as well then dried and fastened onto the belts of each Marine. Helmets were distributed as well as para-cord and gloves. Earpieces were placed on each person. Benji gave them the go ahead, and his army would be en route in less than twenty four hours if all went according to plan. Fields went through standard maintenance on the stealth craft. He would carry them over international waters seven miles east of the Cuban island so as to avoid being spotted by their military presence on the north shore. They would be dropped three miles from the opening they wished to enter by with two small amphibious vehicles that Jesse and one of Fields' men would pilot through the waters with stealth. Said vehicles had been attached to the bottom of their aircraft. Fields' twelve men would also accompany them, but they would not enter the base just yet. They would occupy the city of Matanzas, just south of Havana along the coast.

Fifteen minutes before three a.m., the team boarded the aircraft fully determined to carry out the mission. After going over it all together, they were ready for take off. Fields checked off his launch run-through before using the wide open space of the Posen estate as a runway. He took the hill down before hitting the street then slowly descended into the air. When they at last evened out, Beca stood, observing her team carefully. No one fidgeted or flinched. No one yawned or cringed. There was no fear. Just fuel.

"I don't have to stress how important this mission is to not only our country, but the entire world," she began. "We all made a vow, whether it was recently or many moons ago, but it is an oath that does not expire nor become void due to a world crisis. You have chosen to pledge your life and allegiance to this country. It let us down. Our president knew of the situation at hand, and he allowed it to happen, but what I can guarantee you is that we ourselves can derive order from chaos. We clean it up, and it will be our country again. Right now, there are innocent people dying on the streets. Galbraith is taking children into his base to breed them and turn them into monsters, so there are all so many lives on the line here, ladies and gentlemen. You have been handed the task of thwarting the next world war. Are we ready for this?"

"Ma'am, yes, ma'am!"

"Can I count on you?"

"Ma'am, yes, ma'am!"

"Can your country count on you?"

"Ma'am, yes, ma'am!"

"Can you count on each other?"

"Ma'am, yes, ma'am."

"Most important question of all. Can you count on yourselves?"

"Ma'am, yes, ma'am!"

"That's what I like to hear. At ease."

Beca settled down between Aubrey and Jesse, and Aubrey took her hand. Beca looked over at her, and their eyes locked. Neither smiled. They just gazed at one another a moment.

"You good, lieutenant?" Beca at last asked.

"Perfect, Captain," she returned with a firm nod.

"Is my sister good?"

Aubrey now smiled. "Yes, she's just fine as well."

"We're gonna come home, Bree. All of us. Together."

"At all costs, Captain."

"At all costs."

The team settled in, going over each objective they had in their mind. It was a stealth mission. They were to infiltrate and occupy Galbraith's base and lock it down so that he was unable to launch the missiles until backup arrived. Chloe was on the inside, but she would still have to escape her own prison in order to carry out her part of the mission. She had given Beca the hour that Galbraith had been transported back to his personal chamber across the island. 2230. That gave them twelve hours plus an additional one for travel time for Galbraith to tear down his system that created the demons as well as neutralize the nuclear football that was stolen from the White House. Hopefully, by the time they were fully present in the base, Benji would be en route with backups and the perfect kind of weaponry needed. It was a lot. It was a huge mission with the entire world at stake, but everyone understood that this was what their job entailed. It was what they had been born for, bred for, trained for. It was their fate now, and Beca's squad knew that better than anyone.

Fields had them hovering over Cuban waters before the sun came up, and Jesse carefully lowered the small boat with its silent motor into the still water below. It fit six people, and the second boat came down for Fields' officers, three hanging from the back of each boat. When Beca gave him a flash of her infrared beam, Fields ascended once more to keep the ship in Miami, ready to call in a firework show if absolutely necessary. Jesse and Private Johnson each piloted a boat towards the Cuban shore. When they were less than a mile out, three of Fields' men, Reddick, Taylor and Gavin, swam out to get to shore first and survey the area. Jesse stalled patiently as they took positions on shore for a safe entrance.

"All clear, Cap," Taylor radioed in.

Beca gestured Jesse forward, and the two boats moved in complete silence along soft waves. When they reached the shore, the soldiers exited, and Jesse pulled the plug on each to sink the boats until their next use, if used again. They made their way to the entrance of the drainage pipe while Fields' men headed up into the city.

"Alpha one, do you copy?" came Reddick's voice.

"Copy," Beca replied in a whisper. "Status?"

"Upper road is all clear, Captain. No security of any kind. Access is warranted."

Beca carefully climbed up into the tunnel with Jesse's help, pulling her night vision goggles onto her face, M4 pointed out in front of her. When her team was fully behind her inside the tunnel, she put her hand up, two fingers waving forth, indicating them to follow. The water was shallow inside the opening, and they moved quickly but kept splashing to a minimum. Beca, keeping an eye on the coordinates, so that they made their way toward the northeast shore where the original entrance was, led them through a series of turns until they at last stepped into a stone chamber, a ladder leading upwards on the far wall and the source of the water and waste just behind that. It was Lily who took the lead now, flitting up the ladder with ease before taking a pen-like device from her pocket.

"Where the hell does she get this stuff?" Amy mouthed to Cynthia, who just shrugged.

Lily pushed the small device through the gate then looked through it, maneuvering it in different directions to take in their surroundings before jumping down.

"All clear," she hissed, and Beca went up the ladder.

They came up in what looked like a boiler room from a large grate in the ground. There were several different sources of steam in the room, and it was illuminated in a red tint. The captain headed for the door, which led downwards, deeper underground, and Beca was now sure their bombs would not do enough damage to the base if dropped on ground level. Jesse pulled the door open, giving the captain easier access to checking outside. It was a stone hall, and it was all clear. Beca checked her coordinates once more before taking a right, gesturing her team to follow. They made it down the stone hall until stone became tile, and they seemed to have actually entered a building now. Beca could see a light up ahead soon, and she put up a fist, commanding her troops to stop. They did so, and Beca slid across the wall towards the first opening. Beside the wall were two guard demons, and one seemed to be leaving for the night. Beca figured it was as good a time as any to test her new weapon, so she slung her rifle over her shoulder carefully and pulled out her dagger. Stepping to the edge of the wall, she made sure the man was facing the other way. She then stepped directly behind him, jumping up and pulling him down, hand clasped around his mouth tightly. Jesse, seeing the second man, brandished his own dagger and went for him. Beca plunged the dagger into the demon's heart, and to her relief, he vanished, a cloud of ash fluttering around her. Jesse had the same effect slashing across the throat, and Beca was pleased. They continued on down the hall towards the base with newfound confidence and comfort.

Chloe could sense her team only coming closer, and she had a feeling that soon, the demons within the place might sense them soon too. She would know when they were in reasonable distance, and she had been carefully estimating the time as it went along. It was now 0338 on her watch, and they were making good time. She sat against the door, listening intently for any disruption. Two sets of footsteps came slowly down the hall. She would phase if need be. She could take a demon, or two for that matter. The moment the door opened, she would assume attack mode, and they would never know what hit them. She knew she could phase now. She could feel the beast coursing through her veins, and she wanted nothing more than to tear into stone flesh at that very moment. It was the urge to kill Beca had talked about in the desert, a thirst for blood. The two sets of footsteps were a few yards from the door, but she could still make out Luke's voice and the voice of another unidentified person. Her ears perked up as she honed in on their words, and her heart dove into her stomach.

"I can feel them here," Luke hissed to the man. "They're coming to stop detonation."

"I'll alert the Captain," the other man replied. "You're sure."

"I'm positive. I can still sense them."

"We'll send men to his chamber and take him to the secondary base."

As the men hurried away, Chloe sat back and concentrated.

"Beca," she said in her mind.

"Yeah?" the captain immediately replied.

"I don't know how, but Luke knows you're here. He's headed north for Galbraith's place."

"Okay, I'll send a team to follow them, and I'll come get you, okay?"

"Affirmative."

Beca halted her team in the deserted hallway, turning to them carefully.

"Jesse, can you hone in on Luke's scent?" she asked.

Jesse took a few moments, shutting his eyes and taking in a large breath. "Uh, yeah, yeah, and it's getting stronger."

"Okay, he knows we're here. He must still be able to sense us. They're heading to warn Galbraith. I need you, Amy and Cynthia Rose to follow him and get in there, but be careful. If he can sense you, he may know you're following. Aubrey, Lily and I will get Chloe."

"Copy that."

Jesse, Amy and Cynthia Rose darted down a side corridor as Jesse honed in on Luke's scent, and Beca stayed close on Chloe's. Aubrey and Lily followed her with quick footsteps down into the depths of the base. As they rounded another corner, Beca halted, turning right back around and hiding behind a wall, pulling her comrades with her.

"Six," she hissed. "End of the hall. Facing forward."

"Even distribution," Aubrey confirmed.

"Affirmative."

Beca, Lily and Aubrey each pulled pistols, silencers attached with chemical-soaked rounds in the chamber. They cocked. Six uninterrupted shots should more than do the trick. They had to be quick, and Beca knew it. They stayed close to one side of the wall each, Lily right behind Aubrey, footsteps deliberate but silent. The demons were watching a marked door, a keypad Lily would no doubt have to hack. Two of the demons were at the mouth of the door, the other four lined across the opening of the hall. Beca and Aubrey would take out these four, and Lily would have the door. She was their best shot hands down, and she always handled the longer ranges. Beca and Aubrey halted less than six feet away, taking aim at the backs of the demons' heads and taking two quick shots each. As the bodies dropped, Lily let off two more shots before the other officers could react. A third shot knocked out the surveillance camera above the door. That would certainly cause some ruckus. They hurried to the door, and Lily wasted no time in cracking the code on it. Seventeen seconds flat, and the door opened up for them. They entered the room, and Beca could tell this was where they performed their "treatments". She remembered the room from her dreams, the three chairs that Luke, Chloe and Galbraith had been hooked up to.

"Lily, I need these out of commission immediately," she directed.

Before Lily could move however, the flood gates opened up, multiple doors revealing a ton of demons. Those guns would definitely not hold them off now. Beca looked at Aubrey, who gave her a reassuring nod, already stripping off her uniform in haste as the enemy rushed in.

"Chloe, I need you to phase now!" she hollared into her head.

Moments later, the three were engaged in a tight battle with at least three dozen demons, but they were much younger than the ones they had delt with prior. The first one Beca tore into could not be any older than fifteen or sixteen. There were women too here, and Beca was sickened by the thought. It was the job however, and with such a tight room, there was definitely no space for emotions here.

Just as Beca was outflanked by three demons, another door burst open with such force that the demons froze. A massive copper wolf stood in the doorway growling for a only moment before tearing the closest one to pieces. With such high adrenaline and the will to win, Beca and her team made work of the demons with haste, tearing and snapping as they went along. They could hear alarms sounding though, and they knew that the base was shutting down. They had to get out. As Aubrey crushed the final demon, the others phased, Beca finding Chloe in her arms. Beca cupped her face firmly, searching her eyes for anything that would suggest she had been compromised and terrified of the thought. She found nothing however.

"Are you okay?" she asked hurriedly.

"Yeah, Cap, I'm fine," Chloe replied with a smile. "Come on. We're losing time. They're gonna launch today. We'll deal with the lab later."  
Lily threw Chloe a uniform from her backpack, and the four dressed quickly. As Beca slid in her earpiece, static came in followed by Jesse's voice.

"Beca," he said. "Captain, do you read?"

"Go ahead, Officer," she replied.

"We're down here in Galbraith's place. I've just sent you the coordinates via IV5 if you can't catch my scent. We lost Luke, and Galbraith just left, but we know where he's going."

"Okay, sit tight, Officer. We're on our way."

Beca led her team back out of the chamber towards the way that they came in. She could smell the demons closing in, and she tossed Chloe an assault rifle before cocking her own.

"No time to be clean," she informed them. "We get through by any means. Aim for the head, and stay low. Galbraith has left the building."  
The others nodded, following Beca as closely as possible. The first wave of demons stepped into the hallway obliviously, and Beca hit each with a headshot with ease, hurdling over the bodies as they fell to the floor in a heap. She followed Jesse's coordinates until she was able to take his scent. She got back on her radio as they continued on.

"Firebird, do you read?" she called.

"Loud and clear, cap," Fields came in.

"I'm sending you coordinates as we speak. I need you to meet us down there. Galbraith is making a run for it with the football, and we need to stay on it."

"Coordinates retrieved. En route."

"Over."

Beca continued down the hall, and as they passed a turn, Aubrey was tackled into the adjacent wall. Beca turned around as the demon reared, fists flying down. It was Chloe who took the shot now, the chemical-stained bullet hitting the demon square in the temple, disintegrating him instantly. Aubrey hopped to her feet and continued on without so much as a wince.

"Captain, we got movement up here," Fields came in once more. "Military forces descending into the base."

"Well, they would have to catch up to us on the other side of the building," Beca smirked. "Get me a ground missile on that entrance, won't you?"

"Copy that, captain. Target engaged."

Seconds later, the floor rattled as the missile made contact with the entrance, entering the opening in the ground and killing a large part of the soldiers seeking them.

"Target hit," Fields reported.

"Okay, give it one more then get to the coordinates. Officer Swanson and Lieutenant Dean will be awaiting your arrival with Officer Wilson in tow." She glanced over her shoulder now. "Bree, get Benji online."

"Copy that."

As they reached what looked to be an opening in a basement, they climbed through the open entrance, Jesse's handiwork she would say.

"Benji, ETA," Aubrey asked.

"En route. Touch down 1100."

"Okay, stand by. Galbraith's making a run for it."

"Affirmative."

Beca found a set of stairs that led to a door at the top, and as they approached it swung open to reveal Jesse and Cynthia Rose. Their comrades picked up their pace. Jesse shook his captain's hand before leading her through what she assumed was a study. He halted before a large oak desk, jamming his finger at a large scroll.

"This is their primary place of launch," he explained. "We are here. He gave the man on his radio coordinates to his secondary place. Based on the coordinates, he's heading here." Jesse pointed to another place on the map, and confusion immediately flooded Beca's mind.

"Colombia? Why Colombia?" she asked.

"Think about it, Becs. They're independent countries he's targeting, ones with psycho dictators since the turn of the century, and they'll help him with his goals. It's a network."

"Do they know he's starting a world war, and they're getting their hands dirty by helping him?"

"I haven't had a chance to speak with them," he deadpanned, and she glared at him. "Sorry, but no, I doubt it. He's using them, and he's going to use their militaries."

"Okay, let's move out. Fields is on his way. Gather up these documents. That football is with him. It never left this study before today, and he plans on using it the moment he lands."

"Benji's en route," Aubrey informed them. "I'll call him and let him know where we're headed."

"Hey, did you guys feel that tremor earlier?" Jesse asked, scooping up maps and documents.

"Yeah," Beca replied sheepishly. "Fields sort of bombed the entrance. Bought us some time."

"Nice. I like that guy."

"No comment. Now let's go."

The others rushed out quickly, Beca checking their entrance one last time for any followers. She found none, but just as she took in a breath of the air, she was lifted up and launched across the room into a shelf. She looked up, finding herself face to face with a very familiar person.

"Hey, cap," Luke said devilishly, picking her up by her neck and slamming her into the desk. "Did you come to rescue me, or were you planning on leaving me again?"

"We-lost you, Luke," Beca choked, rolling over to get back up until Luke kicked her in the side, throwing her back to the floor. "What the hell is wrong with you! Luke, you're not one of them! I'm your teammate! I'm your family!"

He scoffed. "Family? You talked down on me, questioning my honor and my rank as if you had the right. Had it not been for me, you wouldn't be shit but another orphan running the streets of Barden trying to off yourself."

"Fuck you, Luke! It was all true! You didn't earn a goddamn-" His fist slammed into her face, throwing her back into the wall. "Will you stop fuckin' doing that?"

"Oh, now the great captain doesn't want to fight? Now the thirst isn't so bad, is it?"

"Luke, you're off your fuckin' rocker. We had all of the blood on our hands while you got the credit for it! You were a pussy then, and you're a pussy now!"

"Oh, but I will earn my respect! Killing the great captain Beca Mitchell. Galbraith and I will erase you and the whole bloody Marine Corp from history, and it'll be us and only us they bow to! You spit on my name, and now you wanna call me family when it's convenient for you!"  
"Well, I was right, because you're weak. If you weren't, we wouldn't be having this conversation."

"It all happened for a reason, Beca. Now I can run my military and not compete with the bloody monster I created! I helped you, and now you're gonna pay me back."

With that, Beca lunged at him, a fist slamming into his cheek. She picked him up, slamming him to the ground and straddling his thighs as she beat into him. He blocked the hits before jamming his fingers beneath her rib cage, taking her breath away.

"The last words that will leave your mouth will be pleas for mercy," he hissed.

He threw her, her back crashing into the desk, and she cried out in pain. She reached for her pistol, but he kicked it from her hands instantly.

"Let's see who the weakest link is, Mitchell," he growled.

"Keep talking and avoid doing," she smirked. "What you do best, right, Colonel?"

His face flushed red, anger shooting forward as he bounded toward her. She jumped onto the desk and over him, grabbing his head in the process and flipping him onto the ground. She tried to squeeze the life out of him, tried to get him to give in, but before any of that had a chance to happen, the body beneath her began to blur. The first things to come were the claws, catching her across her eye and instantly drawing blood. The teeth were next, sinking into her neck as she jumped backwards. She stared up at the lion, and she reached for her dagger, taking it and jamming it in his neck. He whimpered in pain, and soon, his human body was back. He jumped up as Beca tried desperately to wipe the blood that was gushing from her eye, and his momentum threw them both over the desk and into the shelf. Where the hell was her team? She always knew it would come to this, one of them would become power hungry and become a threat to their entire existence. She had never known who, but Luke had always fit the bill in his own way. She knew what she had to do, and though it pained her, she would not hesitate. For the greater good, for the sake and safety of their family, she would have to do it. All she could pray for now was the forgiveness of her sister one last time.

Beca gripped Luke's neck, her own rage now boiling over as heat rose between them.

"You're not good enough for my sister, and you're not good enough for this team!" she roared.

She pulled all of her strength into her dominant left arm, thrusting him back and to the floor. She immediately jumped on him, fists flying down. She was ready to phase now, to end it and move forward with the mission, but suddenly, she felt a sharp pain then a twist in her side. Luke was holding the blade now as it protruded from her abdomen. He bucked her off, hopping to his feet and gripping her neck, the life quickly draining from her eyes.

"You will forever remember me, Captain," he growled. "I am no longer the weakest link. I have just debunked the legend that is Beca Mitchell."

He slammed her to the ground, a bone-crushing crack echoing through the room. The room was covered in blood, and Luke panted, gasping for air. He reached over along the floor, gripping the pistol in his hand as he wiped blood from his lip with the other.

"Say hello to our parents for me, would ya, Mate?" he smirked.

Those were the last words the room heard before two gunshots shook the entire chamber. Chloe and Jesse came around the corner just in time to see the event come to its climax, and though it may have always been foreseen, their hearts broke at the sight. Now they watched as Aubrey's heart shattered into pieces yet again, and this time may not be repairable...


	15. Her Middle Name is Faith

**_A/N: So this will be the second to last chapter. I pray you guys forgive me for all of this in time. I love you all so very much. There will be another chapter and an epilogue unless...you guys have any requests? Fluff or anything? I always take last-chapter requests to draw it out, so holla! LOL, til then, here you go!_**

No one moved at first. No one spoke, a bittersweet moment in their eyes. They all stood stone still, frozen in the hallway. Jesse saw that Aubrey's face was illustrating more shock than anything, and he completely understood. She was either trying be a marine, or she really wasn't as effected as they originally believed by this. He settled on a mixture of both.

"You okay, Aubrey?" he asked, knowing the answer that lay beneath the lie yet to be told.

"It's the job," she replied simply. "We all knew the risk, what could happen. We have to go now though. We still have a mission at hand."

"Why didn't she just shift?" Amy sighed exasperatedly.

"Why didn't she just call for me!" Chloe now exploded. "That's what our powers are for."

"She was doing what she had to do, and I know she was looking out for me," Aubrey replied. "She-didn't want me to see it, and I respect that."

"Well she failed because now look at you."

"I'm fine, Chloe, really. It had to-"

"She could have finished him like a cheesecake!" Amy shouted now. "Jesus, shortcake, why must you make everything-"

"Why must you guys talk about me as if I'm _not_ standing right here!" Beca growled.

"Because I can't even look at you right now! You damn near gave me a heart attack!"

The captain growled but focused her attention on a surprisingly composed Aubrey as she holstered her sidearm. It had indeed been the job. The lieutenant had spoken truth. They knew that Luke had been compromised, and they knew there was a good chance they would have to dispose of him. Aubrey had noticed the captain's absence first, rushing back towards the study. The demons had slowed them though, a horde of them spilling into the narrow hallway and throwing the squad into their phases. They had battled them for what seemed like ages before Aubrey was able to break free of them. She had phased, picking up her pistol and running back for her sister. She turn the corner and was stopped in her tracks. She then watched in awe as Luke slammed Beca to the ground, her bones screaming in protest as she went limp. Aubrey had brought up the pistol slowly, knowing what she had to do but struggling to do it as she edged closer. She aimed at Luke's head, still moving forward. When he picked up the pistol and aimed at Beca, she knew that there was no more time for deliberation. She had to make a choice, her sister or her lover. Had it been between Chloe and Aubrey, she had no idea what the captain would have done, but it wasn't between Chloe and Aubrey, and she couldn't think that way. Beca had been right however. Luke had been the weakest link, never fighting his own battles yet claiming an equal amount of credit and praise. She would not settle for him, and she damn sure wouldn't settle for a life without her little sister. So she pulled the trigger, two stammering shots clashing with Luke's temple. He dropped to the ground rather than turning to dust. The transformation had not been complete. He had been the enemy however, turning on the team of his own accord. She could not dwell on it now. They had a mission at hand.

"For your information, I was trying to save the guy," Beca mumbled as they rushed out of the study once more. "I was about to phase then he stabbed me."

"Are you okay?" Chloe asked.

"Yeah, I can hold off until we're safe."

The brunette had a bit of a limp, her entire spine throbbing in pain, but she sucked it up and moved forward. As they exited the building atop a high mountain, Beca had never been so happy in all of her years to see a smiling Stacie in the cockpit of a large plane. There were many planes and helicopters in her wake and boats on the water. The reinforcements had come, and they now had an upper hand. Fields pulled up over them, his men already inside the aircraft. They dropped a rope ladder down, and Beca and her team made their way up with haste.

"What do we got?" Fields asked.

"A shit load of demons and a Columbian army," Beca replied nonchalantly as they set off towards their next destination. "He's desperate, and he's in a panic. From what I believe is that he has a feeling we've called in help, and he hasn't launched the missiles until he's within friendly lines to protect him when shit hits the roof. Therefore, we get there, you're dropping lead , Sergeant."

"Now you're speaking my language."

Beca sat back, and she now noticed that Benji was aboard their plane. She strode over to him, taking him in a warm embrace. He donned his wide grin instinctively.

"How goes it, Captain?" he asked.

"Eh, same shit, different toilet," she returned, and he now noticed the amount of blood gushing from her eye.

"Jeez, Cap, what the hell happened?"

"Luke happened," Amy now interjected. "That bastard turned on us and attacked Beca."

"Come on back here, Cap," Benji went on, bringing her to a cot in the back. " Can you see?"

"Not at all, Doc," she replied with a light chuckle, concealing her worry as Chloe appeared beside her. "It's not good, is it?"

"It's the same eye as last time, but this cut is much deeper. That may be the end of it."

"Well, I'm alive. I can't be bothered with a loss of an eye when I could have lost so much more." At this statement, she looked up at Chloe with a smile.

"Keep it coming, Captain, you earned some badass points to spare today," the redhead smirked.

"Okay, and-jeez, Beca, you've been stabbed too?" Benji now ghosted a hand over the gaping hole in her side.

"He was rather intent on pain," she returned.

Benji went to work patching up the hole after sterilizing it with the usual peroxide, and she winced slightly when the liquid hit the wound. Then he came up to her eye, dabbing at it with a wet cloth and cleaning it up. He could now see the deep incision that adorned the once steel blue orb, and he cringed at the sight. It was definitely bad. Seeing his expression, the brunette waved him off and gestured him to go on. He patched it with thin gauze then pulled a black strip of cloth, tying it around her head to better stabilize the wound.

"Wow!" Chloe exclaimed. "My very own Rambo action figure!"

"You're welcome," Benji smirked. "Now come on. Let's get you guys set up with your new and improved weaponry. I only wish I would have been quicker. We may have saved Luke."

"No, they had him on their line," Aubrey now piped up. "He turned on his own. He wanted his own glory. He wanted it all to himself, and he hated that Beca told the truth about him sitting the bench then coming in and taking credit. She had been right." Aubrey smiled at Beca now.

"I'm _always _right, Big sister," Beca returned.

"Ugh, that is the last time I try to share a sibling moment with you."

"Thank God because between you and Chloe, you're sap is beginning to suffocate me."

Aubrey stood now, but before she could approach the brunette, the younger sibling was smacked upside the head. She winced at the contact, looking up to meet bright blue eyes.

"What the hell was that for?" she screeched.

"Being rude," the redhead retorted.

"Ladies and gentleman, I'm dating a three-year-old. Use your words, Chloe, your words!"

"Bite me, Mitchell."

Beca opened her mouth to reply, but Aubrey cut her off. "Don't you _dare _respond to that, Mitchell. I'm dixie chicks serious."

Beca only smirked before turning her attention back to Benji. The others gathered around now. He handed each of them modified M16s, steel plated in certain areas. Then he handed each of them two belts of ammunition, and Beca looked closely at one of the rounds. It was clear, and the point was more like that of a syringe than a casing or shell. The insides were a dark green color, and she grinned at it.

"Ooh, pretty colors!" Chloe teased, seeing the look on the captain's face.

"Stand down, private," she retorted. "I just reminisced about the shit they made the Hulk with."

"Wow, and you say _I'm_ the three-year-old."

"Hey, watch it, Beale! The Hulk was a classic."

"And it's also a mixed drink I'll be needing soon if you both don't shut it!" Aubrey squealed.

"Wow, Aubrey knows liquor?" Amy gasped. "I never noticed with your-" Amy now noticed the death glare aimed her way, immediately taking a different approach. "That's good to know."

"Okay, are you ladies going to step into beast mode anytime soon?" Jesse asked now.

"Don't get your panties in a twist, Swanson," Beca drawled. "Hey, I think I just saw your balls fall out the emergency hatch."

Jesse gave her a scowl to which the group burst into laughter.

"Watch yourself, Captain Beca Sparrow. I'll gut your other eye."

"Jeez, Jess, that was harsh," Cynthia Rose gasped, trying to contain her laughter. "I didn't know you had it in you."

"He obviously has a lot of things in him today," Beca said. "And they're all entering through the back door."

Another burst of laughter rang out, but it was cut short by Fields.

"ETA seventeen minutes," he called, and the team composed themselves. "How do you wanna go about this, Captain?"

Beca walked to the front of the plane, picking up the radio that had all of their units linked.

"Okay, Team 1 and 2, take the shoreline. We're probably looking for a small private plane. I need the boats to coast around the north bend and monitor ground activity. Stacie, you follow us down to their base. I need six teams on the ground before we arrive, and I need that base surrounded, do you copy?" There was an affirmative. "There's a lot of jungle that he's ready to use if needed. I need four ground units to report to the capitol building immediately and two more to the airport. From the base, I need a twenty mile radius blocked off. Get four ground units entering via Lake Maricaibo and coming down through Venezuela. Lily will be sending you a picture of the man we are looking for. Neutralize. No, fuck that. It's shoot on sight. Do you copy?"

Everyone rang their affirmative once more, and the units branched out. Fields descended slowly as the Columbian coast came into view, vast mountains still green in the winter. Beca could see the ground units already coming to a halt at the shore and unloading the ships. She loaded up her M16, adjusting her makeshift eyepatch and checking her other teammates.

"Captain," Stacie's voice came over her radio.

"Go ahead, Officer," she replied.

"Target on sight. The plane has landed at the airfield, and he's headed into the base." A moment's pause. "He's disappeared inside now."

"Fields, ETA."

"Six minutes."

"Shit, if we drop lead, it'll startle him into doing it."

She rushed to the co-op radio once more.

"Okay, attention all units. Target has entered airfield. All forces to report to the airfield. I need you to get in quietly. I need it surrounded. ETA five minutes. I need three units on my team the moment we touch ground to the east. We're going in."

"Copy that, Captain. En route."

She returned to her team's line. "Stacie, follow us." Beca directed Fields, and he came to hover over a patch of jungle about a mile outside of the base. One of Fields' men took over the cockpit from Stacie, and she dropped down from the low aircraft into the trees. Beca gathered her team up as more Iraqi forces entered the jungle, joining up with them, the translator at the front.

"Okay, this isn't going to be easy," she huffed. "It's broad daylight, and he's already somewhere inside. I need all entrances covered. If you can slip inside without being seen, by all means. It looks like they have already sent out most of their military to meet us. They underestimated our time. We need to find him immediately before he has time to launch those bombs."

"Wait just a fucking second!" Aubrey suddenly boomed. "How the hell is he supposed to open that case? The president needs to..."

Realization dawned on the entire company.

"You can't be fuckin' serious," Amy growled.

"The bastard is alive!" Chloe shrieked. "That's why he didn't do anything! He knew about it the whole time, and he was in on it. You know, they were the ones that found my parents. He-he had something to do with it. He used me as his poster child for his fuckin' campaign, but he knew what day the attack was supposed to happen. It was Clarissa that sent me out on the correct day instead of two days later. He knew, and he was gonna let them-"

"Okay, okay, calm down, Chlo," Beca breathed. "Okay, we find _both _presidents, we find the nuclear football. Lily pull me up a picture of Beale and get it to every IV5. Shit just got real."

"The kracken has been unleashed," Amy grunted.

As the group moved forward, Beca glanced at Chloe.

The team moved in unison across the jungle, weapons poised and all other units getting into position, awaiting Beca's command to move. They were able to get through the fence with Lily's help, and they all moved behind the closest command building. Beca directed traffic from there, sending units so that they had all bases covered. They maneuvered around the buildings in silence, Jesse, Stacie and Lily making their way onto the roof. From there, Stacie pointed out the entrance the target had taken.

"Captain," came a voice on her radio, Fields.

"Go ahead," she replied.

"There are foreign forces approaching the base. They may be Columbian forces, but they are approaching. ETA fourteen minutes."

"Good enough for me. Move in. All units move in after seven ticks once I enter this building."

They gave their agreement and understanding then Beca waved her team in. She rushed around the building, bursting into the main hangar that the man had entered. Jesse and her lifted the door, and they slipped inside. They made their way to another door, smaller than an average opening, and it led down underground. Typical. Beca slid down first, Aubrey and Chloe right on her trail. They came to the mouth of a large hallway. She flagged the unit behind them into the east wing as they took the west.

"Firebird," she hissed into her radio. "Update."

"ETA eleven minutes, captain."

"Good time. Aerial Combat positions, Sergeant."

"Copy that, Captain. Black hawks in position. Targets engaged."

She turned to her team now. "When the air assault begins, the chaos does as well. We need to get in quickly. Split up. Aubrey, Chloe and CR, on me."

The women followed down yet another corridor, but Beca could now hear the buzz of a control room. She ducked down as they approached large windows, staying low. She took a look once she heard one of their surveillance specialists bark. They knew of their presence, and that bit into their time.

"Presence discovered," she hissed into her radio. "All units move in."

Knowing the presidents weren't in the control room, she kept moving, but as she reached the door, a private rushed out and headed in the direction opposite their location. Beca was swift, catching up to the gangly man.

"Do you speak English?" He shook his head viciously. "Presidente de Americana."

He immediately pointed in the direction he was heading. She jerked her head the same way, gesturing him to lead, pointing her weapon at him. He did so with no fight, a young man, younger than her for sure. He scurried along, Beca and her team on his heels. Another soldier flew into the hall, and he was about to shout as he saw the Marines, but Chloe's dagger was much too quick as he sunk to the ground.

"That's my girl," Beca hissed proudly.

They continued moving as Fields relayed status to her. "Targets engaged. ETA seven minutes."

She nudged the soldier in the back of his neck with her rifle, and he moved faster. Just as they turned another corner, a flurry of shots rang out. "Aerial threat targeted." More shots. "Aerial threat neutralized and destroyed." The war had begun now, and they had very little time to find the presidents. At last, the soldier came to what they believed was a basement, but it also seemed to be heavily guarded by a squad of demons. The boy quickly sprinted off in another direction, screaming at the top of his lungs, and the demons turned on them. Beca's trigger finger sprang to action immediately, her team following as they cut down wave after wave of demons. More and more filed out of a door to the left, but Beca was sure that the door on the right was where the presidents now were.

"Cover me!" she instructed her team, diving behind the alcove.

"We are in the basement!" she called into the radio. "Requesting backup immediately. Jesse, get down here now!"

It only took several minutes for Jesse and the other shifters to appear in the small room, taking cover and returning fire at their enemies. Chloe flew against the wall, and Beca grabbed her before she bounced back out of cover.

"Okay, Chloe, we need to get into that room." She jerked her head towards the right door. "We're going to shift, alright? Strip quickly. Aubrey! Cover us! We're going in! Call in for an aerial and backup immediately! Rush the building!"

Aubrey nodded, continuing her fire as Chloe removed her clothing, and Beca mimicked. Without another word, the two phased, revealing the two giant wolves, and the demons were awestruck at what they had just witnessed. The two beasts didn't miss a beat, tearing through the hordes with their team backing them. They fought, teeth and claws, and though Beca remained blind in one eye, she was able to zone in on her target. She knew that even if they were able to stop the presidents and their scheme, they would have to fight their way out. Colombia wouldn't take this lying down certainly, but it didn't matter.

She at last reached the door, barreling through it. Several more soldiers lined the wall, and her and Chloe made a serious mess of both demon and human soldiers alike. Blood spattered the walls and floors quickly. There was another metal chamber at the end, and Beca broke into a sprint, running literally right through the steel door with ease. The two men inside stilled their movements. Chloe looked over the brown wolf's shoulder to see Evan Beale, completely fine and alive. The anger boiled inside her, and she had the urge to rip his throat out, but his hand was now on the pad of the football, and she needed to go about this the right way, for the sake of their country. She quickly phased as Beca kept the men occupied, their eyes locked on hers. She pulled on one of the uniforms of her victims, their undershirt and pants then she ran towards the room. She entered briskly, and Evan's eyes fell upon her.

"Daddy!" she cried, running for him.

He instantly removed his hand from the pad, Beca eying Chloe suspiciously but also keeping her eyes peeled on Galbraith, awaiting one of his filthy tricks.

"Baby?" Evan asked, playing dumb. "What are you doing here?"

"He took me, Daddy!" She pointed to a stunned Galbraith.

"How-you-I didn't-you were-" Galbraith could not form words as Chloe halted beside Beca.

"Honey, come here," Evan beckoned softly.

"Daddy, is he gonna hurt me?"

"No, sweetie, come here."

"What are you doing!" Galbraith hissed to his partner, but Evan only gave him a stern look before returning his gaze to his daughter.

Chloe slowly approached her father, and as she passed through Beca's line of sight, the captain could now see the glint of the dagger held tautly to her side. As her father opened his arms, Beca bowed low in mock surrender, ready to pounce on Galbraith the moment Chloe made the hit. She crept forward slightly, Galbraith now gaping at his partner. Chloe rushed forth, and as her body hit Evan's, his eyes widened and he let out a gasp. At that sound, Beca lunged forward, taking down Galbraith in one movement. He was beneath her now, but he had regained his strength. He tossed the wolf off, quickly gaining his footing and pouncing onto the wolf's back. Beca bucked and reared up, trying to shake the man, but he had an iron grip on her fur. He sunk his teeth deep into her neck, eliciting a yelp as he reached for the knife on his side. Chloe rushed into the fight, flying up and embedding her own knife in the demon's shoulder. He shook her off, and she skidded across the floor, hitting the wall and falling limp. Beca jumped back to land on him, but he bailed at the last moment as the wolf crashed to the ground. He buried his knife into her side, but her head snapped up, steel jaws clamping down around his offending arm. He switched to the other hand, grabbing the knife and extracting it before burying it in her chest. Her paw kept it from going too deep, tearing the man's arm away now and causing him to roar in pain and rage. Beca stood now, leaping towards him, but he jumped away. He slashed at her, only barely missing her as she feigned right. Another jerk of her head caught the shoulder of the missing forearm, and she shook him viciously in her jaw before the entire arm was amputated. Galbraith stumbled back onto the floor. The doors flew open then, making way for shifters and demons alike in a heated battle as Galbraith and Beca circled one another.

"This is the end, beast!" he growled. "Your fuckin' team will never make it out alive."

She heard a yelp of pain from somewhere in the crowd, and she knew it belonged to the black bear. They had phased now, but the demons were dense in numbers. She could hear the shots ringing outside, and she knew that their units were pinned down in a fire fight. Then she heard a blood curdling scream, jerking her head just in time to see Aubrey's lifeless human body crumple to the ground.

"NO!" she screamed in her head, and Galbraith used the distraction.

He buried his knife into her defenseless chest now, and she howled in agony, her knees buckling beneath her. The rage took over then though, the only thing on her mind the lifeless bodies of Aubrey and Chloe thrown haphazardly around the room. Her eyes flashed menacingly, and she burst forth, knocking Galbraith away, the knife still buried in her fur. He tried to fight her with one arm and both legs, but she tore the second arm off quickly. Then she bore down on him, teeth bared, and in one swift motion, her jaws were clamped around his neck. His legs flailed beneath her in one last attempt at escaping his fate, but there was no hope for him. Fear tinted his eyes as he let out one last strained breath. She snapped his head from his body, and he turned to a pile of ash below her. Immediately, she phased, ripping the blade from her chest and throwing it aside. She rushed to Chloe, tossing her over her shoulder before doing the same with Aubrey. There was only one other door in the room, and she sprinted towards it, opening it up to find a ladder that no doubt led to the roof for a quick escape of a prized asset. She could hear the roar of a tiger behind her.

"Riptide! Retreat!" she yelled at the top of her lungs.

The shifters now fought through the hordes to get to their captain. Stacie arrived first, phasing and taking Aubrey.

"There's a ladder leading to the roof," she replied. "When you get up there, the rescue team comes in. Flag them down."

"What about you, Cap?"

"I'm right behind you. Just go."

Beca knew the sacrifice she had to make now. She had been head to head with death multiple times, and she had survived each and every time for this moment. If she didn't make it out, she would make sure her team would. As Jesse reached her, he phased. She handed him Chloe and directed him towards the exit. The others came quickly, the demons all fallen save for a few that Beca would fend off before the next wave came. When the last of her team was up the ladder, she rushed forth, sliding across the floor and grabbing the radio that Jesse had dropped.

"Firebird, do you read?" she called.

"Go 'head, Cap," he returned quickly.

"Grab my team on the roof. Pull your men out and tell Hassan to do the same. Then you get off the ground, and you drop the bombs. I need all ground units out of the radius, and I'm giving you five minutes."

"What about you, Captain?"

"I think this chamber was built for this. I may just make it through, but I have to keep these demons in here, and they attract to my scent. Go now."

"Cap!"

"No time for argument, Sergeant, that is a direct order. Do you copy!"

"Affirmative, Captain. En route for rescue detail."

She dropped the radio then, running to shut the door leading to the exit and locked it. She then phased, luring out several demons that were at the door gaining their composure. She bounded towards them, engaging in battle and tearing them apart one by one. She could hear the next wave making their way into the basement as the last of her victims disappeared. She phased, and as she did, the next round of at least a dozen demons rushed in. She slid behind the door as they entered, shutting them all inside and sealing the chamber. She sent up a prayer before phasing once more and rushing at the closest foe. The others turned on her, multiple bullets grazing her fur and ripping through muscles. Yet, she kept fighting. If she could keep the hordes coming towards her, her team would make it out. She counted it down. Three more minutes. She took every injury in stride. Yes, she had survived death time after time, but it was all for the moment when the safety of the world was laid upon her sacrifice, and she would die for her team before anything else. That was a fact. If the chamber held up, she would be just fine. Even minimal damage would allow her to live, but if not, she would know that she died in the name of her country, in the name of her family.

One minute left. Fields was calling over the radio. Then it was Jesse, then Cynthia Rose, then Amy. Then Aubrey was sobbing and soon Chloe, and Beca shut the radio off as she finished the last foe and phased back. She barricaded each doors with the slain Colombian and Iraqi soldiers in the room. She then slid the large metal desk against the wall, phasing one final time into her preferred form and crawling beneath it. She curled up, knees pulled into her chest, bracing for the explosion and asking her father to watch over her. This was it, and her fate was in God's hands now.

* * *

"You cannot drop that bomb!" Aubrey screeched. "As lieutenant, I am telling you to stand down!"

"Those were the captain's orders, lieutenant," Fields said softly. "She's still alive, so you can't-"

"She won't be if you drop that bomb!"

"The orders were clear, Lieutenant. Destroy the complex and all remaining enemies. There are still men, _our _men down there who know they are about to die for their countries. We have to do this. I am sincerely sorry, Lieutenant, but I need _you _to stand down now."  
Aubrey knew it was true. There was nothing she could do. Chloe took the blonde in her arms as the two women broke down. They had almost lost her just hours ago, and now it was real. She was doing what she had vowed to do, keep her family safe. She had given them an escape, and she had kept the demons on her scent. They all knew that Captain Beca Mitchell was top priority. She was to be killed above all else, and they flocked to her. The team had just been picked up when Colombian troops flooded the roof. There was no way out for Beca. Fields readied the drop, and the team huddled together, their hearts slowly breaking as they knew the outcome, and they braced for what would completely shatter them. Beca had only done her job, and her job was to protect her family, what she had not been able to do when she was thirteen. She had been given the chance to redeem herself, and she had taken it without a second thought.

"I love you, Beca," Chloe sobbed.

Beca heard the sweet yet broken voice in her mind, and as she huddled under the table, she broke into tears. It was only right however. It had to be done.

* * *

Two bombs dropped right on time, the impact shaking the entirety of the country, taking out everything in its path as Fields kept the craft climbing into the sky. He then headed towards the shore, knowing the bombs would cover the five-mile radius twice over. They still had a mission to accomplish. They still had to rid America of its cancer, but the immediate threat had been neutralized, destroyed by the great Captain Beca Mitchell and Chloe Beale, the president's daughter.

Fields descended onto the shore, a safe distance from where the bombs were dropped. The weapons had been made for small islands, and it would not cover the whole country, but it would definitely take care of the main Colombian military base and the demons within. They were all exhausted and completely emotional. They set up camp on the shore after surveying the space, preparing food and passing around water. The Iraqi soldiers contacted home. Injured soldiers were tended to, well the externally injured. The internally injured, no, broken, sat away from the others mourning alone. They had been given fresh fatigues, but it was hard to don the uniform that had both given them and taken from them everything that mattered most. Chloe and Aubrey stayed huddled together, trying to control their sobs. No one spoke. There was nothing to say. Nothing could patch the hole that had been torn inside of them today.

As the night grew later, Fields approached the group.

"I would just like to say that it was a pleasure serving with you all," he said. "I know your captain meant everything to you, but we all know she was the bravest soldier to ever walk this planet, and she only did it to protect you all. You are all very lucky to have known the military's greatest of leaders."

The group could only nod their thanks, and the man walked away shortly thereafter. No one could eat, and though they didn't want to sleep, their bodies were both emotionally and physically drained. At last, as the moon was at its brightest, Chloe allowed herself to lie beside Aubrey in their tent and shut her eyes, doing everything in her power to keep the flashbacks at bay. It was nothing she had ever experienced before. Even being ripped away from her life, thrown on the run, losing two sets of parents and running from demons wasn't this heart-wrenching. Beca had been her heart through and through, and they had never been given a chance to start a normal life, to love one another and start fresh. It had been ripped from her clutches, and Beca had promised to give her a future. Beca Mitchell never broke a promise, but neither did Chloe Beale, and Chloe had promised there was no future without Beca.

Sleep consumed the redhead gradually, sobs dying out and darkness consuming her. She did not allow herself to dream, hiding in the depths of her mind from anything that could throw salt on the gaping wound. Aubrey remained close beside her, the two broken women huddled up together in some sort of comfort that neither believed was helping but for the sake of the other, they remained. When they saw one another, only one person would come to mind. When any member of the team looked at the other, that same person would grace their thoughts. It would be much too painful, and they weren't sure they could pull through as a family, but they had to try because if they didn't, the captain's efforts would be in vain.

There were no images in the redhead's mind when the tune began. She had no idea where it came from, but it was soft and gentle, gliding slowly and filling her subconscious mind. She listened intently, soothed by the melodic voice and the soft words.

**I can't stand to fly**

**I'm not that naïve**

**I'm just out to find**

**The better part of me**

**I'm more than a bird,**

**I'm more than a plane**

**I'm more than some pretty face beside a train**

**It's not easy to be me**

**I wish that I could cry**

**Fall upon my knees**

**Find a way to lie**

**'Bout a home I'll never see**

**It may sound absurd but don't be naïve**

**Even heroes have the right to bleed**

**I may be disturbed but won't you concede**

**Even Heroes have the right to dream**

**And it's not easy to be me**

**Up, up and away, away from me**

**Well, it's alright**

**You can all sleep sound tonight**

**I'm not crazy or anything**

**I can't stand to fly**

**I'm not that naïve**

**Men weren't meant to ride**

**With clouds between their knees**

**I'm only a man in a silly red sheet**

**Digging for kryptonite on this one way street**

**Only a man in a funny red sheet**

**Looking for special things inside of me**

**Inside of me, inside of me **

**I'm only a man in a funny red sheet**

**I'm only a man looking for her dream**

**I'm only a man in a funny red sheet**

**It's not easy.**

**It's not easy to be me. **

When the song ended, it began again, but it gradually went from soothing to painful. Chloe tried to force herself awake, crawling back from the depths from her mind, scrambling for an exit. At last, she broke through the surface, jolting up in bed with labored breaths. As she did, she realized the song remained though the voice had slightly changed. It was frail, ragged breaths between each line, but it was the same melodic and same familiar voice. Chloe's eyes widened in sudden realization. She jumped to her feet silently, exiting the tent. The beach was dead silent, all of its occupants in a deep slumber. Chloe stripped her clothes quickly, breaking into a run towards the jungle and jumping into the phase of the wolf. She darted through the trees, dodging them and any preying animals effortlessly. She raced southwest. She remembered the coordinates. She knew where she needed to be. As she went deeper into the forest, she heard something to her left. Then to her right. She glanced both ways to find herself flanked. To her right was a sleek lioness and a large black bear. To her left was an agile red fox and a silky black panther. She heard more sounds behind her, but she didn't have to glance back to know there was a lioness, a cheetah and a few others on her tail. She led them silently through the trees, the chemicals in the air becoming evident but not affecting them in the slightest. They at last reached their destination. The place had been completely leveled, wrought-iron fence and all, all of it except a few scraps of metal and stone still standing amongst the rubble. It was a vault of some sort. Everything else was dust and ruin, but the steel and stone had done its job. It had withstood a nuclear attack. Chloe didn't slow, and she ran forth, barreling through the door with only minimal effort. Obviously, a shifter was much stronger than a nuclear bomb. She raced into the vault and surveyed the area, her eyes landing on an overturned metal table. She edged toward it, peering over its edge, and there, she found a small figure rocking back and forth, seeming to be in a slumber but softly singing nonetheless. The figure was covered in blood and debris, but she was alive. She was safe. Chloe phased now, pushing the table aside and kneeling beside the captain. She shook her softly.

"Beca," she whispered softly, the team gathered behind her. "Beca, Baby, wake up. Beca."

She jerked her slightly, and Beca jolted forward, belting out the words she had been muttering moments ago before opening her eyes and looking around.

"Holy shit, are we still in Oz!" she cried, stunning her team. "I-I had this crazy dream, and you were there and you and you, and that whole fuckin' clicking of the heels things is shit, okay? Don't ever do that, and do NOT give tin man oil. He's a belligerent drunk."

The moment they recovered from shock, the team burst into a bellowing laughter as Beca looked around at them with wide eyes. Her eyes then locked on Chloe's bright blue orbs.

"Oh, hey, Baby, why didn't you tell me we had company," she said dreamily.

"Too much gas," Amy concluded. "Guess it effects us after all. Like laughing gas. Come on, Dorothy, let's get you up."

"Dorothy? Who the fuck is Dorothy? Have I been gone that long I've been replaced?"

"Wow, this is going to be the most fun debriefing in history,' Jesse chuckled, and Beca looked at him curiously before shaking her head slowly.

"O-okay, but, no mouth-to-mouth."

This elicited another giggle, bypassing the emotional wrecks they should have been after pulling their captain from the rubble of a nuclear explosion, two to be exact. It would certainly be a tale to tell, and Chloe was happy memorize each moment of it. Their family had survived, the rock of it pulling through after laying it all on the line for their safety. She fell in love with the captain all over again, and she knew they were almost home to a fresh start.


	16. We Only Meant to Do Our Job

**_A/N: So the good news is that I miscalculated and we have at least another chapter after this before any epilogue. I will always do the future chapter of course. See where our soldiers are taken with time. I have an idea of where that will end up. Aside from that, Im trying to figure out what type of fic I plan to do next, but we'll worry about that when this is over lol. Once again thank you to all continuing this journey with me. Sorry for the heart attacks. It was tough for me but just know I love Beca too much in this story to kill her. Here you go!_**

The moment Benji was finished extracting each bullet and all shrapnel, he bandaged up the captain, but she was already healing quickly. She stood up and exited the medical tent, and the moment she did, she was met with a flurry of fists. She was awestruck, and once the assault was over, she stood gaping at her team.

"What-the hell-was THAT!" she squealed at last.

"You gave us ANOTHER fuckin' heart attack!" Aubrey shot back. "What the hell were you thinking, Beca?"

Beca shrugged with a sheepish smile. "I had to make sure you guys had time to get out."

"Ugh, it's so hard to hate you when you put it that way!" Stacie sighed heavily.

Beca smirked now, and her team went from hitting her to a group hug crowded around her.

"Ugh, really guys?" she grumbled from within the group.

"You brought this upon yourself, Shortcake!" Amy growled.

The others laughed as they pulled away then Beca was standing before Chloe. Another hard slap to the arm, and the brunette winced.

"Don't you ever do that again, do you understand me, Mitchell?" she said sternly.

"Affirmative," Beca returned with a vicious nod.

"Good."

Then Chloe pulled her tightly into a searing kiss, and Beca's body melted in her arms, her own limbs snaking around the redhead's waist. It felt as if it had been much too long, and she had never been more happy to see anyone in her life than right now. It had been a miracle that the vault had held its ground, but she would be the first to admit that she prayed from the time she curled up beneath that table to the time she blacked out. It had taken two nuclear bombs, but Beca had finally embraced her middle name and found her faith beneath that metal table.

"I told you nothing could keep me from you," she hissed against the taller woman's lips.

"Yeah, not even a nuclear-proof door I ran through," Chloe returned.

"True that."

Before Chloe could kiss the captain once more, the small brunette was jerked from her grasp. Beca looked up to find herself face to face with the wrath of her biggest and most feared scrutinizer-her big sister.

"Mitchell, I wanna kill you, but that would be ironic," she growled. "So I decided..."

Then Beca flew forward, enveloped in a tight embrace with an "oomph". She awkwardly patted her sister's back before at last giving in and hugging her tightly, burying her face in the taller woman's neck. Aubrey kissed her temple lovingly.

"Don't scare me that way," Aubrey whispered.

"Sorry, big sister, it's the job," Beca replied. "You saved my ass back there with Luke, but it wouldn't have been in vain. My job was clear. I had to protect you guys, and that was the way. They came after me, and it gave you guys time to escape."

"Always true to your word, Captain, but I swear that will be the last of it."

"Copy that."

Once the team was done both screaming at their captain and squeezing the life from her, Fields made his way over. The rest of the camp had awakened to the sound of Jesse's victory cry.

"We are the kings of nuclear explosions!" he had said, arms wide. "Our Captain lives!"

The young sergeant smiled and embraced the smaller captain now.

"It's good to see you back, captain," he said when they parted.

"It's good to be back, but thank you, for protecting my team and not listening to them because I know the blonde back there tried to scare you into not dropping the lead."

He chuckled. "Affirmative, Captain. Scariest moment of my life, but we got through it. What you did was very brave out there."

"Yeah, well I always finish what I start, and we have a mission to tend to."

"Right. When would you like to move out, Cap?"

"Let's let everyone rest a bit. My team has yet to do so. We'll surprise the base back in Cuba when night falls. We move out at 1900."

"Copy that, Cap."

"I'll need you and Hassan in my tent at 1400, so we can go over the plan for both the base as well as our return to America. We will also need units strictly for rescue. No telling what we're going to find down there."

Fields nodded once more before heading back to his own tent, and Beca turned around to sit with her team while Aubrey and Benji prepared breakfast.

"So what was the explosion like?" Jesse asked, eyes bright.

"Like a big ass earthquake at first. 10...no, like 100 on a Richter Scale." They laughed. "There isn't much noise to it. Everything sort of evaporated around me, and the vault moved a bit, but it held its ground for the most part."

"There's a vault like that in the White House," Chloe recalled. "Deep down in there."

"I guess they must have built it for Beale and Galbraith."

"Why would they do that?" Aubrey asked.

"He planned on bombing Colombia too. I found his target list." It was then that the captain pulled out a large black briefcase and a slip of paper that had been tucked in the bag around her form, one that the team had not paid attention to. They recognized the case as the nuclear football. "I phased back to a human after it hit and grabbed all of this, but my body was real numb, so I wanted to heal before I tried to move out. It lasted quite a long time. Then I realized I had shrapnel in me, so I tried to call Chloe, but I just-blacked out. I guess I started singing then because I don't remember that." Chloe had told her she had been singing when the redhead heard her, and she couldn't believe that or anything else her team assured her she said before reaching the camp and being given medicine by Benji. "Anyway, he was going to hit Cuba and Colombia as well. He wanted their dictatorships and their militaries, but he would blame it on the middle east, and of course, Cuba and Colombia already trusted him, so they would have handed him office without issue. I don't think he really thought of how much damage these bombs could do."

"Well, he was army infantry. He didn't really have much experience with the bombs themselves."

"He damn sure wasn't a chemist either," Benji snorted.

"Well, Fields and Hassan are meeting me at 1400 to go over execution of our final two objectives. We move out at 1900. That clear?" Her team nodded.

The company settled down for breakfast, a comfortable silence falling upon them as they ate. When they finished, Aubrey, Chloe and Cynthia followed Beca into her tent to look over the map of Galbraith's base and strategically decide where they would focus each unit.

"We'll take the drainage pipe with Lily and Stacie," the captain explained. We'll have Hassan's men take the main entrance, and I'll have Jesse and our others with them to spread our scent. They split along each wing and their charges along them. Lily and Stacie will plant the charges in the testing room while we clear the base of all civilians, and we'll have the .50 cals enter from the main entrance with Amy and one of Hassan's men on the trigger. I will have the rescue teams set up, and they'll fly in once they get the green light and entrance from Jesse and I. "

The others nodded agreement, and Beca went through the remainder of the plan as to how they would drop the solution on American soil. Beca had been plotting it while Benji had patched her up with his aide, and she was confident in her plan thus far. She was oblivious to the smiles of her team as they watched her go over the maps. They were all just happy to see their captain again, and they could not believe just how titanium she really was. She had always been a storied captain, but now she truly was legendary.

After her meeting with Beca, Aubrey sat along the shore to be soothed by the soft waves gently crashing against the warm, white sand. She breathed in the fresh air, her body relaxing for the first time in a long time. It had been a very emotional ride, much more so than any tour, and she had nearly lost her little sister multiple times. Being without Beca for a few days had been torture. A few years had nearly killed her. Forever surely would have. She shook it from her mind, saying a silent prayer thanking those upstairs for allowing their family to keep their beloved captain a bit longer.

Someone settled beside the lieutenant, disrupting her thoughts, and she hadn't expected this particular person to ever sit with her of their own accord, alone. She didn't look at her comrade now, but she smiled.

"How are you holding up, Lieutenant Posen?" she asked.

"I'm-much better now," she replied honestly. "How about you, Officer Conrad?"

"I'm doing okay. Just can't wait to get this over with."

There was another comfortable silence that fell between them for a moment, and each woman just enjoyed the other's company as they listened to the song of the ocean.

"I never got to say thanks, Stacie, for coming when I came to you," Aubrey at last said.

"Hey, we're all a family," Stacie reminded her. "Family calls, you drop everything. That's the way it is. It wasn't like anything else I was doing was more important."

"What-were you doing when I found you?"

"You know that club you found me at?"

"Yeah."

"Cynthia and I opened it for the university when we got back. I was there working technically."

"Wow, that's impressive. Sounds a lot more fun than my job."

"Don't sell yourself short there, Lieutenant. You were a staple in our government. People loved you. I mean, who knows war better than you and the captain?"

"About that. Stacie, I know we never really were-close, but I want you to know I never hated you or anything for sleeping with Beca. I think I was just-confused about a lot, but now I understand all of those extra emotions I had for her. It was because though our minds weren't aware, our hearts knew that we were bound by far more than a uniform. We were sisters."

"Yeah, I guess-I just felt bad when I started seeing the signs, but I'm sorry if I strayed away from you. Believe it or not, I have a conscience, and I don't like hurting people. You're an amazing person though, Aubrey, and you deserve the very best. Beca knew that too, you know."

"Stacie, you deserve that just as much, you know. You're a great person and an even greater soldier, and you should never settle either. You know my dad was always on me. He wanted me to be a lawyer like him, but- he was never satisfied with anything I did. When Luke first found me, I was drinking myself to death because I couldn't handle my father anymore. It was killing me. He called me names and insulted me, put me down whenever he could, and the last thing he said to me wasn't all that good either. Beca had always been the one to see the good in me even while she was driving me crazy. She always put her faith in me."

"Well, my dad, after my mom died, he-he started lending me out-to his friends, for money. They would come up to my room, and I-I had to do whatever they said. I had always just wanted to make my dad proud. He was all I had left, so I did it, but it was never enough. I left the moment Luke gave us the offer, and I didn't even go back for his funeral, but after that, it was so hard for me to love. That's why I stuck to just sex, but with Beca, I felt that it was just a little bit more. We weren't in love or anything, but she wasn't just using me, you know. She cared about me the same as the rest of the company. We were still a family outside of that, and I knew she would always care long after we stopped sharing a bed, so I understand. She told me too that I deserved so much more the night I told her about my dad, and that was just about the last time we were together. She cares, a lot, and she let me know that she didn't just think of me as something to be used, so I understand what you mean."

"You know, she's right. You're so much better than that, Stacie. You deserve real love just as much as anyone else does, and I want us all to have a fresh start, to be the family Beca was willing to give her life for. We didn't know much about each other, but it's time we change that."

"I came over to do that, to build this family again, so I'm with you, but Aubrey, you're here. You made it, and we're all proud of you, so don't ever let anyone tell you you're anything less than perfect in your own way."

The two women shared in a warm embrace, and it made Aubrey's heart flutter. It was an ode to the mission. Their family, their entire true family, those that loved one another and got one another through everything, would make it home, and they would be just fine.

* * *

The squads moved out promptly at 1900, Beca and her team on a smaller aircraft with Stacie at the helm to land near the cove entrance. The planes spread out, the ships making their way along the coast to dock on Cuba's left shore. All had been briefed on their objective and the mission. The first objective was to clear out the base of any survivors that had not been morphed and get them out safely and securely to EVAC aircraft. They moved swiftly towards their target, and Stacie took to a soft landing on the beach right beside the cove. Beca strapped on her vest beneath her fatigues, a fresh strip of cloth covering her worn eye. They loaded up their weapons with their specialized ammunition and laced up their boots. Beca led her team off of the plane and towards the entrance, following the path they had the day before. It was quiet as it had been on their first journey into the base, but the moment they entered the building, they could smell the demons, a strong scent that wafted through the entire place. Beca held up a fist, halting her team as she stepped in the hall and dropped two demons with her pistol. They began checking every single door, and they had yet to find any survivors, but they continued to look. Chloe had seen the children brought in many times, and as they came closer to the testing chamber, she could feel she was getting closer.

"All units move in," Beca hissed into her radio. "Main entrance.

"Copy that," Jesse returned.

Soon, the bullets were flying on the northern end of the base, and demons rushed down the hall towards the battle. Beca's team cut them down as they encountered them until they stood right outside the chamber.

"Lily and Stacie, plant those charges," she directed. "Chloe and Bree, let's check that door Chloe was held in."

They entered the testing room, and Chloe quickly led her two comrades to the door she had first burst through when they arrived. She hustled down the stairs, and it was only then that she noticed another door further back than the one she had been locked behind. She kicked it, and she was astonished to find lines of cages where people, children, were locked inside. There were no silver eyes here, only the eyes of children that had been ripped from their lives, and none them in this chamber were any older than fifteen or sixteen. Some held infant siblings. Others were huddled away in a corner, tears in their eyes. The three Marines began breaking the locks and opening the doors with haste despite the bile in their throats and the pain in their chests.

"Aubrey, lead them out," Beca ordered. "We'll bring up the rear."

Aubrey nodded and began beckoning the children.

"We're here to help you, okay?" she coaxed. "Everything will be just fine. Come now quickly."

Beca jumped on the radio. "Hostages located," she called. "I need EVAC units to the sewage entrance immediately.

Hostages number in at least a hundred, all children."

In the last cell, Chloe was broken to find three blankets on the ground, and lying upon them was an infant, whining and flailing his arms, and a small toddler crying softly. She checked for a pulse on the infant, and it was faint. Beca entered the cage too. She kneeled beside the toddler boy.

"Hey, buddy," she said softly. "What's your name?"

He didn't speak, and Beca knew he could not be any older than one or two, but when he looked up, he revealed eyes that almost mirrored her own. Her breath caught, and it took her a moment to compose herself. Chloe was awed as well as she scooped up the infant.

"Okay, come on, buddy. We're gonna get you out of here, okay? I promise. Come on."

In an instant, the boy had jumped into Beca's open arms, clasping his own arms tightly around her neck. She patted his back before following Chloe out. They pushed forward, bringing up the end of the group of children following Aubrey.

"EVAC to main entrance," Jesse's voice now came. "Hostages located and obtained. Adults. Numbering at forty-two."

"He was breeding them," Chloe whispered in disgust. "He really planned to let this go that long."

Aubrey led them forward, taking down demons as they came, but there were very few still in this part of the base. Stacie and Lily were now beside her, Lily with the detonator for the charges safely gripped in her hand. They moved with haste, but some of the children, weak as they were, kept stumbling and falling. Beca continued to help them up and kept them moving. Beca took an infant from the arms of one of the older girls. She was frail, and she had trouble holding onto the baby boy.

"Is this your brother?" Beca asked.

"N-No," she hissed, leaning against Chloe's side now. "B-but I saw him before, a-and I shared my water with him until they started giving the little ones milk. We lived together."

"Where are you from? Where are your parents?"

"We-were taken from-a foster home in Miami, most of us, by the men here. He had just been born the day we were taken, so I took care of him. All of us came from foster homes though from somewhere in the country like Atlanta or Jacksonville. I asked all of them. Ben and I tried to help all of them, but-then they took Ben."

Beca's stomach turned. Galbraith had been stealing orphans. It was no wonder no one had noticed their absence, but then again, how could anyone hang up missing posters when all of America was in hiding.

"En route to exit with hostages," Beca radioed in. "Charges have been set. Update."

"Charges planted in western wing," came Jesse.

"Charges planted in eastern wing," Jessica came next.

"Charges planted in southern wing," Cynthia Rose called in. "Galbraith's study has also been wired."

"Okay, retreat," Beca directed. "Detonation T minus seven minutes."

The forces began to back out, cutting down the immediate enemies as Jesse continued to lead his hostages out onto the northern shore. They were quickly loaded onto the EVAC aircrafts by several soldiers.

Beca and her team reached the exit in record time, Cynthia Rose, catching up with them, and several EVAC helicopters were now parked on the beach. Lily lined the the exit pipe now with several timed charges, seven minutes programmed on helped the kids down from the pipe and onto the sand. The children were then loaded with haste, but the toddler and two infants stayed with Chloe and Beca as they loaded into the plane Stacie now took control off. Planes began to descend as boats retreated from the shore.

"Detonation. Four minutes," Beca updated as they hovered over the ocean now. "How are you doing down there, Swanson?"

"Lifting now," he replied. "We were able to save a good few dozen of those demons. They're healed and on a separate plane now, but Captain, Denise isn't with us."

"Wait, what? Where did she go?"

"She was headed your way, and I can't get her on radio."

Suddenly a series of yells were heard. Beca looked down over the beach to see three small children, no older than four, clambering out of the drainage pipe. They were yelling and screaming up at the planes, and Beca handed Aubrey the infant in her hands before rushing to the side of the plane then to the front. The toddler that had been sitting beside her began to panic, but Chloe pulled him into her side swiftly.

"Stacie, we need to get those survivors down there," she demanded hastily.

"Captain, the bombs set on that entrance are timed," she informed her.

"That's fine. I just need a minute. Drop the ladder and hover above it." Stacie opened her mouth, but the captain proceeded quickly. "That's an order, Officer."

She then quickly dropped controls to descend and rushed towards the entrance. Beca was already sliding down the dropped rope ladder, and when she was close enough, she reached her arm out. The children were on the edge of the pipe now. The tallest one grabbed her hand. Chloe was now waiting at the top the ladder. Beca pulled the child to her.

"Okay, climb up this ladder to Officer Beale, okay?"

The child nodded through her tears, gripping the rope and climbing a few feet before grabbing Chloe's outstretched hands. Beca reached for the next child and pulled him in, and he followed her directions up to Chloe. The last child was smaller than the first two, and she could not reach Beca's hand. The plane began to sway as well as the ladder.

"Okay, honey, I need you to jump, okay?" she coaxed.

"I-I can't. I'm scared," the little girl sobbed.

"Come on, Honey. I'm going to catch you. It'll be okay."

The girl gave a little hop, but it wasn't enough, and she was much to terrified to try again. Beca tried to reason with her as Stacie called down. "One minute, Captain!"

"Okay, come on, honey, you have to do this," she pleaded, but the little girl just shook her head.

Just as Beca climbed down another step, her legs now dangling, Denise appeared in the entrance of the pipe. She grabbed the little girl, hoisting her up by her hips where Beca could grab her. The captain quickly pushed her up, Chloe going down to meet the girl. There was a lot of weight on the rope now, and it was beginning to fray at the top.

"Get back inside, Chloe!" Beca rushed before turning back to Denise. "Jump, Denise!"

"No, Cap, just go!" The plane began retreating.

"Denise, I'm not leaving you behind! I vowed to bring my _entire_ family back. Now jump."

"The rope will bust!"

"Jump!"

Denise at last did, and she was able to just barely grip Beca's wrist. Denise was much heavier than the captain, but the captain didn't let go. She pulled up with all of her strength as they dangled over the water, the rope barely holding. Chloe, Aubrey, Cynthia Rose and Lily were now trying to pull it up, and Beca was able to help Denise climb over her then above her. Cynthia Rose yanked her into the plane now just as the bombs went off. The rope was blown to the other side, Beca colliding with the bottom of the plane, one hand slipping off the rope. She refused to let go completely however, and Chloe jerked the rope up quickly, Aubrey behind her. At last, Beca reached the top, and Chloe gripped her shoulders, yanking her inside. She landed atop the redhead out of breath.

"Hey, honey," she panted, planting a kiss on the redhead's nose. "Miss me?"

"You are a fu-" she began, but Beca quickly pressed her hand to Chloe's mouth.

"Hey, there are children present."

"You are a kamikaze!"

Beca just laughed heartily as she stood, helping Chloe up with her. Denise came to the captain now and clapped a hand on her shoulder.

"Thanks, Cap," she said with a smile.

"You should know I always keep my word, Officer," she replied. "I didn't sit through a nuclear explosion or two just to lose someone in a cleanup."

Denise embraced the captain now a moment before moving away. Beca then moved to where Chloe and Aubrey were looking over the last three children. They seemed to be okay, but they were visibly shaken at everything that had gone on.

"What's your name?" Aubrey asked the first girl, who had her hands to her face as Aubrey kneeled before her.

"E-Ellie," the small blonde hiccuped slowly removing her hands.

"How old are you?"

"F-four."

"What about you, soldier?" Beca asked softly, now kneeling in front of the boy, and he looked up with bright blue eyes that made the captain smile. They were more like Chloe's this time.

"C-Cal." Aubrey and Beca looked at one another in awe, Chloe's eyes widening as well. Beca slowly turned back to the boy.

"That was-my dad's name. Do you have a mom or a dad?"

"Wh-what's those?"

Beca's heart broke now, and she dropped the question. "How old are you, buddy?"

"Th-this many." He held up three fingers.

Beca smiled, all three marines holding back tears.

"Well, I'm gonna take care of you okay, Cal?" He nodded at the captain now, wiping his tears with his arm.

"What's your name, Sweetie?" Chloe asked the final child.

"R-Rosalie," the little brunette answered. "I'm 'thwee'."

"Do you have a mommy or daddy?"

"Well, you. Are you a mommy?"

Chloe's eyes welled up quickly, and she took the little girl into her arms. As Beca sat beside Cal, the other toddler she had taken from the cage jumped into her lap, wrapping his arms around her neck. She chuckled.

"Told you so," Chloe chimed, and Beca knew exactly what she meant, chuckling again.

"Hush up, Beale."

Beca brought up the microphone of her radio to her lips.

"Okay, guys, soon as we hit America, head to your designated sectors and drop 'em," she directed. "All rounds. When you have finished that, descend upon your designated sectors to set up your emergency shelters and services. Coordinates have been programmed into your IV5. Move out and good luck."

* * *

Only a few hours later, America was beneath thick clouds of smoke as Benji's cure spread across the land in the night. He had worked hard on the project, testing it several times before becoming satisfied, but he had come through. He had embedded himself in history for saving America from a terrible fate.

Smoke blanketed every state, and as it began to clear, Stacie flew low over the streets where silver eyes were replaced by blue, brown, green and hazel eyes full of confusion. They were human now, but the smoke didn't affect them. It was more of a vapor than anything, a medication designed precisely and perfectly by Benji. He had of course tested it on humans as well, and he had confirmed it would not harm them.

"Lily, I need a public broadcast," Beca announced. "I'm sure wherever people are hiding, they have a way of staying updated. Aubrey, you need to speak to the people."

"Why me?" Aubrey asked.

"You're the closest thing to a president we have. Go on."

Lily pulled out one of the laptops and began hastily cracking and hacking some sort of program. She linked up her connection to the many radio frequencies and broadcast channels. Of course there were still news lines. They had heard them in Nevada. At last, Lily switched on the webcam and handed the device over to Aubrey before counting down her time until they were on air with her fingers. Three, two, one.

"I am here to address the American People," Aubrey began. "This is former First Lieutenant Aubrey Posen of the US Marine Corp and your current Secretary of Defense. If you can hear me, we would like you to know that the country has been taken back. If you can hear me, we would like you to make yourselves known. Our military in alliance with the Iraqi military will be setting up emergency services in each major city in the next few weeks. If you can get to a radio or a cell phone or any other communication devices, we have all frequencies and channels opened amongst ourselves. All you have to do is dial 9-1-1. Again, we are here to aide you, and we are very concerned with the well-being of our citizens. Help is here, fellow Americans. Soon, we will be able to rebuild our country once again in a better image."

* * *

Stacie landed in Barden after picking up Benji from the Atlanta emergency shelter. Newscasts made a return, and they were broadcasting Aubrey's speech on every major TV and radio station. Lily had the Fox News feed as well the CNN feed displayed on two laptops, and they were cutting from Aubrey to the images of many people emerging from their hiding places around the country. They had hidden in basements, bomb shelters, abandoned buildings and other places of the sort. Many had died from starvation and dehydration, but so many more had survived the darkest of times in American history. Families were reunited, children were found and introduced on air in order to help find their parents. Parents were looking for children, but no one came looking for the hundreds of children that were now in Barden at the secondary emergency shelter. It was heartbreaking to know that they had already been quite alone to begin with, and now they had lost their caretakers. Leon Howle, the dedicated coordinator of the emergency services and an Air Force officer, brought this to the attention of Beca as she entered the shelter, the old Barden hospital.

"We have no place to take them once the hospital's back up," he said to her.

By now, her team was gathered around her, and she was holding both Cal and the other one-year-old in her arms. Benji had checked them out, making sure they were healthy, and he was also able to give appropriate age to the second boy.

"If you can gather caretakers, you can have my childhood home," Beca informed him. "I'll give you the address, and you can have your team go check it out."

"You can have my home as well," Chloe came now.

"Where will you live?" the man now questioned.

"Oh, our family will be taking residence at the Posen estate," Aubrey now answered, the infant Beca had handed her on the plane still in her arms, and no one gave her a questioning look. They all smiled at Howle now.

"Very well," he sighed, holding out a clipboard. "Whoever is willing to donate their home, please leave name, number and address here. We have the electric company powering up right now, and they are opening up the water lines. That should be complete within the hour." The entire team took turns and jotted down their information on the board. "Oh, and-uh, whose bill are we throwing this on?"

"The United States Presidential Cabinet," she assured him. "I've already been in touch with U.S. Treasury Secretary and leaders of Wall Street. They were taken out to Canada when everything happened, but they will be returning shortly to help recover our economy."

"Not a problem." Beca quirked an eyebrow at her sister. "Hey, I'm still Secretary of Defense, aren't I?"

"Okay, great," Howle sighed in relief. "This will definitely help. Thank you all for your service as well, Marines. It is a great honor to this country to have such heroes willing to sacrifice everything to such degrees."

"No problem at all," Beca returned, sending him off with a warm smile.

"Come on," Aubrey prompted. "Let's get home. Benji, are you coming?"

"I'll meet up with you guys," the curly-haired man returned. "I'm gonna help out here."

"Actually, we're gonna stay too," Cynthia Rose piped up, gesturing to everyone aside from Beca, Chloe, Aubrey and Stacie. "Why don't you guys get those kids out of here since it's obvious you aren't leaving them here, and we'll be home in time for lunch."

The group laughed, but the captain nodded, clapping a hand on Cynthia's shoulder.

"Thank you, Lieutenant, for everything," she said.

"Are you serious, Cap?" Cynthia Rose returned, her eyebrows raised in shock. "You took TWO nuclear bombs for us. That's worse than jumping on a grenade."

"Yeah, in a steel vault though! I was cool."

"Okay, Cap, but really. It's always an honor serving with you."

"And you as well."

Beca, Aubrey, Chloe and Stacie made their way to a dark Suburban with Jesse in the driver's seat. He gave them his trademark big goofy grin.

"I'm driving you ladies home before I get back down here to help brief the survivors," he informed them.

"Okay, but we need to stop for some stuff on the way out," Beca told him. "The donation station's set up on the east side of this parking lot."

They piled in carefully, Beca, Chloe and Stacie in the back with the two infants while Aubrey took the front seat, and Ellie, Cal and Rosalie in the last seat back. Stacie had taken the baby from Aubrey's arms to keep him safely in the backseat. The two women had been talking all the way home on the flight before reaching America, and it had made Beca genuinely smile. The two women hadn't held a full conversation in years, actually since that time Stacie told Beca about Aubrey's feelings. It was good to know that her family was mending itself fully however, and it warmed her heart. It had been all she had ever wanted. She wanted them to be safe and taken care. She hadn't been able to stop that college student or whoever he was from killing her mother and father. She had not been able to make her real mother stay, to let her and Aubrey be a family and be loved by Cal Mitchell. She had had no control then, but she did now, and she would never let her family, especially her sister, down again. That was her promise, and Beca Mitchell never broke a promise.

Dawn had only just broke when they had arrived in Barden, and Beca had been glad that the electricity was still on at the hospital. She only hoped the rest of the city now had power and water as Howle had said. They had been able to wash up here and there, but they had not had a real shower in a long time. They had been on the mission for two months. It had been two months since Beca had uttered her first words in three years to her big sister. They had gone through a lot, struggling through obstacles and being disrupted by countless revelations on the way, but they had made it. Yes, they had lost Luke, and it was painful, but nothing would have been more painful than what would have happened had Aubrey not pulled the trigger. This was their family, and they were grateful for not losing anyone else. They had never pictured their reunion like this. They had never expected to be fully reunited at all with Beca and Lily locked away. It had not come in the prettiest of packages, but it was a reunion nonetheless, and they would forever treat it as a blessing. There were no regrets amongst them. In place of Luke, they were given Chloe, a young but very powerful shifter that had been a big part of the mission, taking Evan Beale's hand from the football and being strong enough to not see him as her father but as an immediate threat to the entire world when she killed him. In such a short time, they had solidified their bond once more and grown stronger in the process. It had not been an easy road. It had been only them at the start, no American military behind them, no colonel to order them, no Area 51 soldiers and no Iraqi allies. It had been only them, and as a family, they had worked through it. In two months' time, they had saved the world and preserved their family, and for the first time, Beca was satisfied with herself. She was genuinely happy for the first time in a long time, and she embraced it.

After confirming the water and the power were turned on, they distributed children to put in the bath. Beca took Cal and the one-year-old while Aubrey and Stacie took the infants, and Chloe took Ellie and Rosalie. They each took one of the five bathrooms in the large house, and the boys allowed Beca to scrub them with a washcloth and soap they had picked up on the way home. They had also fetched towels and clothes for the kids that they hoped fit from the donation station set up at the old hospital. The town was now coming to life again as people flocked home, and they were waved to as they passed. It was quite a sight watching the breath return to their hometown knowing that it was their doing, but they enjoyed it.

As Beca bathed the boys, she could tell it was their first bath as well in such a very long time. There was tons of dirt caked along their bodies, and their brown hair was matted to their heads. There was blood as well either from others or from old wounds, and it broke her heart. She was gentle with them though, and they trusted her with their bright blue eyes and steel grey orbs.

"Hey, buddy," she said softly as she washed the younger boy's head. "So do you got a name?"

He just gave her a big smile, but he didn't say anything. He had only really babbled all the way home, and she was sure that he had pretty much grown up in that place. He had not been taught any words much less given his name.

"Well, I guess I'm gonna have to name you," she sighed. "We should probably wait though. The redhead's a bit crazy."

"Wh-what's your name?" Cal asked slowly as if afraid she would get mad.

She ran a hand over his head with a smile. Of all things, Beca had never seen this happening. She had been an only child, and she couldn't imagine sharing her parents with anyone, but after realizing that her big sister had been through hell despite being offered the chance at a real childhood and her own childhood being ripped from her grasp without a second's notice, Beca vowed that she would never deny a child that, a family. She had the choice to now to give someone that love that had been so vital growing up, and unlike Erica Posen, she would not pass it up. These kids had been sent to her by someone, and she was going to help them have a better life, a normal one.

"My name is Beca," she replied.

"I-are you-leave me?"

She smiled again. "No, buddy, I'm not going to leave you. Would you like to stay with me?" He nodded quickly, and the other boy giggled his affirmative. "Then you'll stay here with me, okay?"

"Kay."

After dressing the boys, Beca brought them downstairs to the kitchen where the others were already assembled. Chloe was fixing lunch as noon arrived, and the girls waited patiently at the table with Aubrey and Stacie. Beca came up beside the redhead, and Chloe smiled at her.

"We have to name him," Beca whispered.

"Aww, Baby, but you know that once you name him, you grow attached," she replied sarcastically.

"Too late."

Her grin widened at the captain then she nodded. "We shall pick a name for him then after dinner. Is that okay?"  
Beca nodded. "We're keeping all of them, aren't we?"

"Well, I don't know. Ellie refuses to leave Stacie's side for too long, and both Aubrey and Stacie are super attached to that babyboy."

Beca looked up, and sure enough, Aubrey was sitting beside Stacie at the table while the brunette cooed at the infant, Ellie leaning towards her on the opposite side.

"Well then," she sighed. "That leaves us four. Where's the other little one?"

"Sleeping on the mattress in the living room," Chloe replied, and Beca's jaw dropped.

"Chlo, what if he falls off!"

"Negative, Captain. I surrounded him with pillow soldiers along the border, holding him from enemy lines but not smothering him." Beca sighed in relief. "Wow, Babe, you're serious, aren't you?"

"You said you wanted to adopt, and I mean, those kids could definitely pass off as ours, and they need a home. Did you see Cal's eyes? They completely match yours, and the little guy's match mine. That's very hard, you see because I've never seen anyone with eyes like mine."

"If you can't beat 'em, join 'em, right?"

"Exactly. And, come on! His name is Cal! That has to be a sign of course. Plus, he just said he wanted to stay with me, for me not to leave him. Can you believe that?"

"We rescued them, Becs. We're probably the only adults who have ever been so gentle with them to their memory."

"Then we can't just hand them off to someone else."

"Four kids? Right off the bat?"

"Jeez, and I was positive that _I_ would be the skeptical one, and _you_ would be the one begging. They were sent to us though, Chlo. Those are four blessings right there, and they will never have to worry about the burden we've been given. They can be normal, and they can be ours."

Chloe gave an exasperated sigh before her face broke out in an infection grin. "Okay, okay, we can keep them."

"Yes!"

As Chloe finished preparing the meal, the door opened to reveal the rest of the team, all smiles but looking beat. Beca and Aubrey had gone off to shower, and they returned to the kitchen as the others entered. Cal and the younger boy had been swinging their legs impatiently, awaiting Beca's return, and when she appeared, they smiled. The younger boy jumped up on his chair, and Beca picked him up gently.

"Uh oh," Cynthia Rose said as she watched the scene. "Looks like someone softened up the captain. I mean, Red over here got a head start, but this little guy finished the job."

"Yeah, but don't forget that little guy, this cutie here, and the other little guy asleep in the living room," Chloe informed them, pointing to each child as she referred to them. "They all helped, and now she's attached. That also means inside voices, soldiers."

"You're keeping them, huh?" Jesse asked softly as he approached Beca.

"Jess, my sister was denied a normal childhood," she explained. "My childhood was ripped away from me, and these guys are already scared I'm gonna leave them, so...I won't. So that's a yes, we're keeping the four of them. I wouldn't mind six, but Aubrey and Stacie already named the baby, and Ellie's attached to Stacie's hip."

"What did you name him?" Amy asked, overhearing Beca and turning to Aubrey and Stacie.

Aubrey smiled up at her. "Matthew. It means gift of God."

"That makes sense," Benji agreed with a smile.

"You googled it, didn't you?" Amy deadpanned.

"At some point maybe," Stacie replied with a shrug.

"We have yet to name ours," Chloe informed them.

"I feel like we're talking about puppies," Amy sighed.

The others laughed at her as they settled around the kitchen. Chloe served the children first before distributing plates to the team. They didn't wait a beat before scarfing down their servings, and Chloe chuckled.

"Did you guys even chew before you swallowed?" she asked, but when she saw Amy going to answer, she pointed a finger. "Amy, there are children around. Do _not _say whatever you were going to say."

"Great, these little buggers are going to disrupt my commentary?" she asked incredulously.

"Definitely, so watch it."

"This is no fair."

"Stop acting like a child, Amy," Aubrey chided. "You handed off that right today."

"Wait, what? When did I agree to any of this?"

Her team could only laugh again, but she scowled at each of them. Then she felt a small poke in her side. She looked down at a grinning Rosalie.

"Boo," she said sullenly to the small girl, and the child screamed in terror before bursting into laughter. "Hey, this is easy."

"Yeah, but stick with that game," Beca warned. "As her mommy now, I won't condone the teaching of your antics to her."

"I have two mommies!" Rosalie suddenly squealed, clapping. "I win!"

"Hey, I have two mommies too!" Ellie shrieked back, and everyone froze in awe, turning to the little girl. "See!"

She pointed at Stacie then Aubrey, and the team couldn't help but grin at the small blonde. Stacie and Aubrey looked at each other then smiled back at the little girl now climbing into Stacie's lap.

"I win too!" Ellie finished.

"Yes, you do, honey," Stacie assured her, kissing her head.

"Well, this is gonna be a very interesting house, isn't?" Jesse concluded.

"Mama, who these guys?" Rosalie asked, looking over at Beca.

Beca smiled. "You wanna know?" Rosalie nodded. "Okay, soldiers. Line it up. Time for formal introductions with the mini-captains."

Without missing a beat, Beca's squad lined up side by side, but they kneeled so as to be eye level with the children. Stacie now took Ellie's hand and led her behind Beca. Beca took Rosalie's hand carefully, Cal now attached to her leg with the other boy in her arm, and she walked along the line.

"You know the drill," she told her team. "State your name and specialty."

"Uncle Jesse. I'll teach you about all the movies in the world."

"Aunt Denise. I'll teach you how to color in the lines."

_"_Aunt Ashley. I'll teach you the ABCs."

"Uncle Benji. I'll teach you how to do magic tricks." Ellie's face lit up at that.

"Auntie Amy. Oh, and godmother," the Aussie whispered now. "I'll teach you jokes better than the ones on the bubble gum wrapper and how to wrestle crocodiles and dingoes simultaneously as well as horizontal running, but you'll have to have someone else teach you to vertical run. Yeah, no, don't sign me up for that." Beca just shook her head.

"Aunt Lily," the Asian hissed. "I'll teach you the ways of-"

"Lily," Beca and Stacie warned in unison.

"We'll find something fun to do." The children really didn't catch what she said, so they moved on to the next.

"Aunt Cynthia Rose, but you can call me Aunt CR. I'll teach you the ins and outs of hip-hop." Beca gave her a warning glare. "The good kind of course. No worries. Then I'll help your mommies teach you to sing."

"Aunt Jessica. I'll teach you how to camp, hunt and fish."

Now Beca turned to Aubrey, who smiled. "I'm your realest and best Auntie Aubrey, and I will teach you to be well-behaved and well-mannered."

"Of course," Beca huffed.

"I'm just sorry I missed the chance to teach your mother." Rosalie giggled at that.

"Basically, don't go to Aunt Aubrey when you're bored." Aubrey scowled at her, so she whirled around. "And this is your Aunt Stacie. She'll teach you how to dance, but your other mommy over there will supervise because I'm not sure all of Aunt Stacie's dance moves are appropriate, ever in your life."

"Oh, be nice, Cap," Stacie replied. "I have to grow up too now. You forget. With that said, Ellie, meet your Auntie Beca and Auntie Chloe." Chloe came forth now. "They can teach you all about music that Auntie CR slacks on. They can teach you to protect yourselves, and...they can also teach you all about wolves."

"I like wolves!" Cal suddenly beamed, and Beca laughed, ruffling his hair.

"I'm glad to hear that, kid, because-" Beca started, but Chloe nudged her. "Well, I'll teach you all about them. Scout's honor."

After the fun died down, and Chloe and Aubrey were able to put Matthew, Ellie and Rosalie down for a nap in the downstairs bedroom adjacent to the living room, Chloe joined Beca on the couch. Cal was nestled in her side, but he quickly jumped into Chloe's lap as she sat down. Beca had the other boy in her own lap, and the team was lounging around the living room as well.

"Okay, buddy, so, we're gonna give you a name, okay?" He giggled. "Affirmative, right. Okay, so-how about...Cameron?" His smile fell away. "Brandon?" Still nothing. "Edward? Greg? Gabriel?"

"How about Lionel?" Chloe asked. Nothing.

"Seriously, Chloe? We are not a family of lions, you know."

"Oh, right. Well it's not like we're gonna name him Moon Moon. What about Reginald?"

"You are officially disqualified."

"I second that," Amy piped up now.

"Oh hush. Alvin?"

"How about Steve? Like the crocodile hunter?"

"No!" Chloe retorted. "How about Terrance?"

"How about John or Andrew?" Jesse asked.

"Jesse, we are not naming him after a character from The Breakfast Club," Beca chided.

"How about Arthur?" Denise offered.

"Patrick?" Cynthia Rose gave.

"I like Edgar," Jessica voiced.

"Emilio?" Jesse offered.

"Not the names of the actors either," Beca clarified.

"You're no fun. How about Jesse Junior?"

"Ugh, that's horrible."

"We could call him JJ."

"No."

"How about Neil?" Aubrey put up.

"Or Aaron?" Stacie added.

"Dillon?" A slew of glares hit Amy. "Oh, right. Bad guy. Sorry about that."

"Eric?" Aubrey and Beca both shook their heads.

"Warren?" The captain sighed.

"Don't listen to them," Beca whispered, and the little boy just stared at Beca as she thought. "How about...Liam?"

The boy suddenly giggled, and he tried to say the name, his face full of amused concentration as he said "Li" a million times. Beca smiled.

"Liam it is then," she concluded proudly.

"Why does that sound familiar?" Chloe asked.

"It was my father's first name. He always told me that he wanted to name me Lia, but thought better of it. He had wanted me to be a junior though because his dad had named him Liam after the man that had saved my grandpa back in some great war. He took a bullet for him, so my dad wanted to name me that and keep the name alive. I think it's right that, since we already have a Cal, how I don't know but still find a bit creepy, we should have a Liam."

"It's not creepy. It's a blessing. It's like a big neon sign from your parents saying 'Take him and love him forever!'"

"Yeah, I guess so. Don't forget though. We have one more babyboy to name."

"Well, what about, hmmm, Noah?"

"Like the guy that built the arc?" Amy asked.

"Or the guy from 'The Notebook'?" Jesse countered.

Chloe giggled. "Yes, like the guy that built the arc, but it has many meanings. Peaceful, long-lived, comforter."

"Well, I'm sold," Beca sighed in content. "Noah. I like it. We can add middle names later because every Mitchell has a middle name. My dad assured me of that too. Grandma tried to bypass a middle name, and Grandpa Mitchell nearly died of a heart attack." Chloe giggled once more.

"Is these what mommies is?" Cal asked then, looking from Beca to Chloe.

"Yes, buddy, it is."

"You my mommy?" he asked Chloe.

"That's right."

"So that's the daddies!" he cheered, pointing to Beca.

Beca gave him an unimpressed look as Chloe and the rest of the team broke into hard laughter, unable to keep the volume down as they had been instructed. Benji fell off the arm of the couch and onto the floor holding his sides as Jesse ran out of the room clutching his abdomen.

"Yup, that's exactly who that is, son," Chloe told Cal seriously.

"All those 'balls' jokes catching up to you, Cap," Amy assured her.

"Yeah, yeah, pipe down, ya goofs," she returned.

"Are you?" Cal asked.

"I'm whatever you want me to be, son," she replied simply, ruffling his hair before pecking his forehead.

As the team settled down and the laughter died out, there was a sharp knock on the door. Jesse now entered the room once more with a confused expression on his face. Aubrey stood hastily now, and Beca handed Liam to Chloe. She stood up, Jesse and Aubrey now following her to the door. She opened it to reveal three men in crisp, clean military blues, the lead man holding a bible in one hand and a brief case in the other.

"Good evening, Captain Mitchell," he greeted. "We were told we could find Secretary of Defense Aubrey Posen here."


	17. Begin Again

**_A/N: So I definitely miscalculated. I have a few more chapters for you! Yay! Are you guys still with me? That last chapter seemed to fail, and my peeps fizzled out. Are you still here? Do you want the rest of it? Just let me know. Anyway. Thanks to everyone that has remained. We're still going strong. This chapter is a bit of plot, a bit of fluff and a bit of foreshadowing. I'm sure it isnt hard to decipher. You guys usually do lol but here it goes!_**

_"Come now, Captain," Luke beckoned as they exited the barracks. "Your First Lieutenant is in the shooting range. She's a feisty one, but we went to school together. She's-old school-if you will. She was studying to go to law school before this, very pragmatic, but I know you two will work well with each other and even one another out in time."_

_Beca only grunted a response as she followed the blonde colonel to one of the white buildings across the street. As they entered, they were met with the sound of gunshots and the scent of gunpowder. They entered the range where a line of cubicles were set up, targets lining the far wall being blown to hell by the officers. Luke led her all the way down to the end where a tall woman with honey blonde hair pulled into a tight bun beneath a camouflage cap stood positioned. Beca could not help but notice her tall, slender form and how tense it seemed. Her skin was fair, and her eyes were covered by clear shooting glasses, chunky red earmuffs covering her ears, but Beca could see the glint of brilliant emerald from behind the glasses. Beca also noticed how flawless her aim was, tearing apart the head of her target with ease. There was a look of focuses determination blanketing her sharp features, deep pink lips pursed as she fired away. Luke stood behind her, hands clasped behind his back. Beca stopped beside him and awaited the introduction._

_"First Lieutenant Posen," he called._

_The women immediately hit the safety on her firearm before tucking it into the holster at her side. She removed the glasses and earmuffs, placing them on the narrow counter before her and turning around. Her vivid green eyes instantly met stormy blue, but both the expression of the lieutenant and the captain stayed neutral while the colonel smiled._

_"Lieutenant Posen, meet Captain Beca Mitchell," he prompted. "Captain Mitchell, First Lieutenant Aubrey Posen."_

_The two women shook hands firmly._

_"State your specialty, Lieutenant," Beca said in a firm tone._

_"Lioness stealth," Aubrey returned without missing a beat. "And yours, Captain?"_

_"She-Wolf."_

_"Very well. Are you bigger then?"_

_Beca smirked. "Are you more relaxed then?"_

_Aubrey only pursed her lips tighter._

_"I'll leave you two to get better acquainted then," Luke said curtly. "Mission briefing is at 1400. Have your team assembled at Hotch by then. Is that clear?"_

_"Affirmative," the captain replied, eyes never breaking the staring contest she was currently having with her lieutenant. "Thank you, colonel."_

_Luke nodded before walking off and leaving the two women at it._

_"Will you loosen up there, Lieutenant?" Beca questioned._

_"I am 'loosened' up, Captain. Let's keep these relations professional."_

_"This is professional. I can't have my right hand cramped up in battle."_

_"Your FIRM right hand will keep you alive that way."_

_"I'm not so sure. I'll throw you a bone here. Though you may be 'old school' as our colonel put it, I am neither traditional nor orthodox in any sense of the word. I've explained this to the squad as well, so I expect that you simmer down a bit because right now, I'm pretty sure I could cut through the muscles in your face with a butter knife."_

_"As you wish, Captain, but do not expect me to just lay down and not give you my opinion. I have reserved that right."_

_"Yes, you have, but likewise, do not expect me to take everything you say into consideration."_

_"We do reserve the right to agree to disagree."_

_"Yes, very well. Let's go, Posen. I have a feeling this whole team bonding thing needs to begin immediately. You're making my face hurt."_

* * *

"The eagle has landed."

Three suburbans pulled up behind the large stage at the center of Barden Fairgrounds. Lily, Chloe, Amy, and Cynthia Rose slipped out of it, donned in their pressed black suits and dark sunglasses, earpieces completing the ensemble. They surveyed the area carefully before Chloe brought her wrist up, speaking into the small microphone hidden there.

"All clear up here," she relayed.

The doors of the sleek, black rear Suburban opened up to reveal Ashley, Denise, Jessica and Benji. They too surveyed the area cautiously and carefully before Benji brought his wrist to his mouth.

"All clear. Release the eagle."

Chloe's group met Benji's group at the left side of the middle Suburban as Beca and Jesse slid out of the driver seat and passenger side. Benji opened the door, and Aubrey stepped out into the noon sunlight. Stacie slid out after, clad in a long black dress, one thick strap over her shoulder and her hair done up in a tight bun. Aubrey's hair was drawn up the same as she donned a long emerald dress that brought out her astonishing eyes. They could hear the crowd buzzing up front.

"Update," Beca called into her microphone.

"All clear," another voice answered, and they enclosed Aubrey and Stacie in a tight circle as they moved upwards onto the stage behind a thick maroon curtain.

As they approached the end of the fabric, a mic was tested on the other side of it. The group stopped, awaiting official introductions. It was a beautiful August day in Barden, and the ceremony had been put off until the town had gained their footing once more, now a prestigious city that replaced the life of Washington D.C. in the aftermath of what was dubbed "an apocalyptic event". America had died and been resuscitated by the group now waiting patiently behind the curtain, and all knew it. This ceremony was big for each and every one of them.

"And now, I bring you," the man boomed into the microphone now. "President Aubrey Conrad and First Lady Stacie Conrad."

The crowd roared in applause as Beca led the group from behind the curtain and onto the stage. As Aubrey stepped to the podium, Stacie at her side, the cheers grew several decibels, and Beca smiled at her sister despite herself. She flashed back to the night of their return home. The attorney general had appeared at the door with Chief Justice Darrell Hollis intent on swearing Aubrey in as president of the United States. She had been next in succession, and even then, everyone in the nation had agreed one of the marines that had risked their lives for them when all hope was lost deserved the office. Now they had two of said marines as president and first lady, and the others were the president's personal secret service detail, Beca at the helm.

Beca grinned now as she heard the crowd laugh at Aubrey's joke about having a first lady as the first woman president, something about not breaking tradition too much, and Beca knew her older sister hated breaking tradition. She had done it a lot lately however. Not only was she the first female president. She was also the youngest at twenty-eight, and they had to break a few rules to do so. No biggie. It's just the Constitution, right?

Not only that, but Aubrey ditched the Posen name the moment Stacie had proposed back in March, and they had married in May as the Inauguration was planned. The children had taken the name as well, and all finalized documents confirming the children were legally Mitchells and Conrads were delivered the week before the wedding to both couple's delight. It had been a beautiful backyard ceremony with only the family, karaoke, catering and a bunch of dancing. Beca had still been in awe at the fact that Aubrey and Stacie were legitimately getting married out of real love. They hadn't talked in so many years before, but she guessed distance makes the heart grow fonder or something or other. Maybe it was the fact that Aubrey's blinders came off after losing Luke and finding Beca to be her sister that made her see what she truly deserved. Stacie saw what she truly deserved as well, and with Ellie being so excited about having two mommies, they had given it a shot, and it worked like a dream. They evened each other out, and they proved each and every day that they loved each other. Even religious Americans respected the Marines despite their orientation, and it really empowered the LGBT community as it regrew. They had truly made a million statements in the country as a whole, and they were all loved for it.

Aubrey wasn't the only one breaking tradition or habit though. Chloe had Beca listening to music again, regularly. She sang with Chloe in the car, at the house, to the children. She was the old Beca again, a side no one alive had ever seen before, and though it took some getting used to, they wouldn't change it for the world. Aside from when she was in uniform, she smiled all of the time. When she was sixteen, she had never seen this. She had expected to die in war and never have to plan a future beyond that. Yet, here she was in the big mansion with four children and a beautiful partner inside and out, and now she couldn't imagine life without it. Every night she was thankful for the strength she found to keep pushing through and making it to see the day. Patience was truly a virtue, and she had fought through countless obstacles to get here, literally scooping up her children on the way through.

The Posen Estate, now Conrad Estate, had been taken as the impromptu White House while the prolific structure was being rebuilt from the ground up in Washington. With that came complete renovation to the estate, adding onto the already massive building and installing the best of wrought-iron fences around the immediate house, another along the entire land Aubrey had inherited. Not only was it to protect to the president but the family that dwelled there as well, the children they raised.

As Aubrey continued to speak about the values of America as a family in comparison to her own family, little Ellie was brought on stage by Beca, Matthew tucked in her arms. She handed her nephew to Stacie, and the crowd "awww'd" and cooed at a grinning Ellie, hugging her brunette mother's leg. Aubrey smiled down on her and continued her address. The swearing in of the blonde had been nationally televised by each and every network, so no one felt compelled to have her sworn in again. It was quite a sight, and Beca was missing her four munchkins already. She looked to the crowd, and at the front stood a tall, slender woman with long brown hair, her face slightly withered with age and trauma, but she had a beaming smile. She had come to them in April once everything had calmed down significantly, and she had been thrilled to see them all and meet Beca. Jesse could not believe that after so long, he had been reunited with his mother. She had smiled up at him with bright brown eyes and kissed his cheek, saying that she was proud of the man and the marine he had become, and that she was dearly sorry for all that had happened when he was a child. Now, she stood with Beca's and Chloe's four children, Noah snug in her arms and several secret service agents around them, the entire Barden Police Department surrounding the event as well. Cal and Liam fidgeted in their seats while their big sister prodded them to behave. She looked up and caught her mother's navy blue eyes despite the sunglasses she donned, and she grinned widely. Beca smiled back despite herself once more before returning her attention to her sister.

As Aubrey's speech ended, General Todd Hammond of the US Marine Corp stepped onto the stage, shaking Aubrey's hand warmly then Stacie's as the two women made their way back to Beca and the team. He stood before the microphone now, and two other marines in uniform joined him with a briefcase in each hand.

"Welcome, citizens," he greeted with a smile. "Now, of course this day has been dedicated to our lovely President Conrad and the first lady, but we do have something we must do. The team you see behind me, president and first lady included, are not just any team. They are Marines, very dedicated Marines despite the end of their term in uniform. They had all been out of uniform for three years, returning to normal lives and other endeavors. Yet, in the face of chaos and eminent doom, these Marines, without medals and a team and only themselves, stepped in between our great country and its end. They stepped up to the plate, and while the rest of us were in hiding, they rushed forth into battle. President Majid Khadduri of Iraq is here with us today." The president waved from beside the stage with his own detail around him. "He can attribute to the tale of these Marines, who saved his country as well from its downfall. Brave would be an understatement. They fought for their country, for their people, but first and foremost, they fought for each other. They did not back down or rush into hiding like many others. They took down a tyrant and his army with the help of our new ally, Iraq, and never did they falter. Never did they think of quitting. Never did they flinch from combat. _That _is the definition of the title 'Marine'. They are the epitome of American military, so today, we are to honor them. First off, to each and every one of these Marines I award the Medal of Honor, for gallantry and intrepidity at risk of life above and beyond call of duty." The other soldiers opened up their briefcases. "Please step forward as I call your name to accept your medal." Each member of the team did so, and cheers followed each of them. "Chief Warrant Officer Benjamin Applebaum...Officer Ashley Carter...Officer Amy Wilson...Officer Denise Eldridge...Officer Lily Onakuramara...Officer Jessica Richards...Honorary Officer Chloe Beale...Chief Warrant Officer Jesse Swanson...Chief Warrant Officer Stacie Conrad...Second Lieutenant Cynthia Rose Dean...First Lieutenant Aubrey Conrad...Captain Beca Mitchell."

The cheers continued to roar as the same procedure was followed for the Silver Star, the Presidential Union Citation, the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal and several others. Individual awards were given as well, and by the end, each member was heavily decorated. Beca had even been offered a spot as a general back in The Corps, but she had gently declined, keeping her vow to protect her sister at head of her detail. They did settle for allowing her to speak to the public, and though she had never been good with words, the proud look in her daughter's eyes from the front row followed by two more sets of different blue hues, she couldn't turn it down. She stepped to the podium.

"Good afternoon." She cleared her throat. "As you know, I am Captain Beca Mitchell of the US Marine Corps. Formerly and current Director of the Secret Service. I-I'm not good with words, but when your kids are looking up at you like they expect you to turn into a superhero or a giant wolf, their favorite animal, it becomes vital that you get up here and you do your best." Everyone chuckled, but Beca's team just gave her a knowing look. "Well, we would first like to give a round of applause to all of you, for surviving. For taking your safety into your own hands and getting through this, for not losing hope in us or our country. It's what makes our country strong. Prior to this, it was not our government that made us strong." Someone had leaked the story that Evan Beale had been involved in the entire disaster. "It was our people. It was the individual normal citizens, including this team out of uniform, that carried us forth, that allowed us to be here today. When our government fell, we were all that remained, and we were unable to turn the other cheek with our country in need of us once more. We have an oath as Marines, and we learned that despite the end of our term, the oath itself does not hold an expiration date. Therefore, we were compelled to step forth and do our duty to our country when no one else could or would. What I can assure you of is this, with this turn of an era comes the turn of that tide as well. You can now count on your government because the leader of the free world, the first lady, and her detail here didn't hesitate to risk our lives for our country or for each other. With that in mind, I fully believe we have earned your trust to run it."

There was the loudest roar of applause Beca had ever heard as she smiled, waving at a giddy Rosalie, who was jumping up and down in her seat. Cal still looked as if he was waiting for the wolf, and Beca chuckled. As she walked back to her group, Chloe grinned at her as she shook her head.

"What?" Beca asked, adjusting her sunglasses.

"A wolf? Really?" Chloe asked to which Beca only shrugged. "Clever, I suppose."

"You know me, Agent Beale. My middle name is Clever."

"Keep telling yourself that."

"Thank you! I will!"

When the ceremony was finally closed out, Beca and the team shook hands with President Khadduri and General Hollis before returning to their vehicles to proceed to the inaugural ball being held at the estate. The team had been against it at first, but it had been tradition, so Aubrey had at last conceded with the compromise of a tight guest list and even tighter security. Jesse's mother and children would be in the west wing with Aubrey's own detail taking turns guarding them through the night after dinner, and the ball and banquet would be held in the east wing.

* * *

The presidential detail arrived at the house first with several hours to spare, and they were glad. Aubrey had never been so busy in her life in the last few months and for good reason. She had to revive her country, but with the help of an exceptional cabinet and her team beside her, including a very opinionated first lady, she had been doing an amazing job. It was a godsend when she was able to relax however in her home with her family. As they entered the house, they were greeted with small, pattering feet. Beca caught Cal as he rushed into her arms, and Liam collided with Chloe's chest.

"Hey, buddy!" Beca greeted, kissing his forehead.

"I saw you!" he exclaimed. "Outside, daddies!"

"Oh, really? Did I look cool?" He nodded viciously. "That's all that counts."

"Of course because protecting your sister doesn't," Aubrey shot back as she hugged Ellie and kissed Matthew's head, who was nuzzled in Stacie's arms now.

"I was only joking. Chill out. Where's my Noah?"

Delilah Swanson appeared now from the kitchen with a small bundle in her arms, and she handed him to Beca with a smile.

"He was an angel," she informed the captain.

"Thanks, Mama Swanson. You'll be okay with them tonight?"

"Of course. I love having the grand-babies." It was true. She had volunteered as full-time nanny while the team worked. "It's a blessing. Let's just hope my son gets on the train soon. Women are having the babies for me. It's heart-breaking."

"Don't start, Ma," Jesse warned, walking in hand-in-hand with Ashley followed by Cynthia Rose and Denise. "We went over this."

"Yeah, yeah, of course."

The rest of the team moved in after checking over the estate, and Chloe and Beca settled in one of the many dens with their kids. Rosalie ran into the room, kissing each woman on the cheek before fitting in between them.

"Did you see me, Mama?" she asked Beca, tugging the brunette's arm around her. "I saw you with Mommy and Uncle Jesse."

"Yes, bug, I saw you," she replied with a smile. "Thank you for helping Granny Swanson with your brothers."

She gave an exasperated sigh. "They are a handful, Mommy, but I told them. I said 'watch Mama and Mommy. They're up there', but they don't like to listen."

"Well Daddies!" Cal whined. "There was no wolf!"

Beca laughed heartily as Chloe swatted her shoulder.

"Well you did good anyway for trying, Baby," Chloe assured Rosalie, tapping her nose.

"Yeah, but sorry about that, Bud," Beca said to her son. "One day, okay?"

"Kay!"

"Mama, can we have ice cream?" Rosalie asked

"Well, your dinner is being prepared as we speak, so once you eat that, you may."

"Ice 'cweam', Daddies?" Cal asked now from Beca's lap.

"Yes, sir, once you eat, okay?"

"Okay, but can you and Mommy sing now?"

He gave her a wide grin, his cerulean eyes shining like his mother's, and Beca eyed Chloe, who nodded. They wouldn't have time to do it later, so now was as good a time as any. Liam now jumped into the brunette's side, and he looked up at her. They had been trying to teach him to talk, but they had only been able to teach him to walk a few months ago, and his development was much slower than other children his age. His parents didn't mind however. They loved him just the same, and he loved them. He couldn't say it, but he showed it with his insane amount of hugs and kisses and cuddles, a trait that Beca was convinced he had somehow inherited from Chloe though Liam had the brunette's eyes. All four children were brunettes except that Rosalie's hair was a bit lighter in the sun, more like the makings of an auburn color, and the team continued to ask Chloe and Beca if they were sure they had never given birth. The couple only laughed, but they too wondered how they had been so lucky to have four children so much like them. Rosalie was like Beca in the way she was witty and quick. Cal was like the redhead with the way he became overly exited for virtually anything. He had squealed and run all over the house twice jumping up and down when Beca had come home with a huge picture book on wolves for him. It was a heart-warming sight. Liam was affectionate like Chloe with Beca's stormy blue eyes, and all three toddlers loved music the way their mothers did. They didn't see their mothers too much from April to August with Aubrey traveling so much and breathing life back into the country, but the children looked forward to each night, waiting up until their parents either arrived or called them via Granny Swanson, when Chloe and Beca would perform an impromptu duet and sing them right to sleep. They found it to be the most soothing sound in the entire world, and they anticipated it more than anything. Beca too had gone back to working on music as a hobby, and she didn't get to do so often with four kids and a demanding job, but there were times when she had open moments to play around. Either way, Beca could not be more happy than she was at that very moment, surrounded by children who adored her and thought the world of her. She could never imagine leaving them, and they had all vowed that once Aubrey finished her term, two if need be, they would all put away politics and military and settle down for good. They would all build houses on the estate to grow their families, and they would be their own little community in the hills of Barden. It was the twelve-year plan as Chloe put it, and Beca could not wait. With the large settlement checks each soldier had received as a thanks from the country, they would be able to do so. The only reason Beca hadn't retired yet was the moral obligation to watch over her sister.

"Okay, what song?" Chloe asked.

"The Sunshine Song!" Rosalie squealed, and Beca huffed.

Chloe had been able to get her to break out with "Pocketful of Sunshine" ONCE, and Rosalie had never forgotten it.

"No!" Cal whined. "No more sunshine! New one!"

"Okay, buddy, okay," Beca chuckled. "Chill out."

Rosalie pouted, another trait Beca was sure had been inherited from Chloe. She took Rosalie in her hands now and sat her opposite Cal. Beca looked deep into her grey-blue eyes and began to sing on instinct.

**_Oh, her eyes, her eyes_**

**_Make the stars look like they're not shining_**

**_Her hair, her hair_**

**_Falls perfectly without her trying_**

**_She's so beautiful_**

**_And I tell her everyday_**

Chloe immediately grinned wide at the song choice as Liam cuddled up to her, and she softly joined Beca, taking the second stanza, as always.

**_I know, I know_**

**_When I compliment her she won't believe me_**

**_And it's so, it's so_**

**_Sad to think that she don't see what I see_**

**_But every time she asks me "Do I look okay? "_**

**_I say_**

As they always did as well, both parents harmonized on the chorus, and their children's smiles became megawatt grins that Beca also blamed on Chloe, smiles that turned her to putty in their little hands.

**_When I see your face_**

**_There's not a thing that I would change_**

**_'Cause you're amazing_**

**_Just the way you are _**

**_And when you smile _**

**_The whole world stops and stares for a while_**

**_'Cause girl you're amazing_**

**_Just the way you are _**

Rosalie was now smiling up at her mother as she turned to Chloe to continue singing, navy blue eyes locking with cerulean orbs above their daughter's head. Chloe would then take the next stanza.

**_Her lips, her lips_**

**_I could kiss them all day if she'd let me_**

**_Her laugh, her laugh_**

**_She hates but I think it's so sexy_**

**_She's so beautiful_**

**_And I tell her everyday_**

**_Oh you know, you know, you know_**

**_I'd never ask you to change_**

**_If perfect's what you're searching for_**

**_Then just stay the same_**

**_So don't even bother asking if you look okay_**

**_You know I'll say_**

Cal was bobbing his head now, nestled between his two mothers and looking up as they harmonized above him. He had a wide grin on his face as well, and Rosalie rested her head on her mother's chest.

**_When I see your face_**

**_There's not a thing that I would change_**

**_'Cause you're amazing_**

**_Just the way you are_**

**_And when you smile _**

**_The whole world stops and stares for a while_**

**_'Cause girl you're amazing_**

**_Just the way you are _**

**_The way you are_**

**_The way you are_**

**_Girl you're amazing_**

**_Just the way you are _**

**_When I see your face_**

**_There's not a thing that I would change_**

**_Cause you're amazing_**

**_Just the way you are_**

**_And when you smile_**

**_The whole world stops and stares for awhile_**

**_Cause girl you're amazing_**

**_Just the way you are_**

"How was that?" Beca asked her daughter.

"It was so pretty!" she squealed with excitement, and her parents chuckled.

"Good. See, I told you we don't need 'The Sunshine Song'."

"Babe," Chloe warned. "You sang it in the shower for two weeks after we sang it, so don't pretend you didn't enjoy it."

"First of all, it was stuck in my head. It was against my will, and second of all, no one had you bursting into my shower in the middle of the night."

"Mommy!" Rosalie now shrieked at Chloe with wide eyes. "Auntie Aubrey says that going into the restroom while Cal is in there is rude and dis-dis-'disspectful'! So you can't do that to mommy."

"Yeah, what she said," Beca backed with a finalizing nod.

"Oh, hush," Chloe chided her girlfriend. "Rose, when you're grown ups and you love each other, it becomes okay."

"Oh, ho, no it does not.! Do not listen to your mother, Rose. It is _never _okay for anyone to walk into your shower no matter how old you are, and you know why?" Rosalie shook her head. "Because your Mama knows how to hunt and use a gun, so you tell every guy or girl who tries anything of the sort that, and if he doesn't run, you call me."

"But, Mama, Ellie takes baths with me."

"That's different. Ellie is family. Family is okay when you're little, but never let boys or girls who are NOT family do so, or kiss you or touch you or date you or buy you flowers or chocolate. Got it?"

"Okay, Mama. Got it."

Rosalie nodded then kissed her mother's cheek as Chloe chuckled. Boy, she was lucky to have the family that she did, and she wouldn't change it for the world. She had never imagined this. Never had she seen this for herself, but she was glad that reality had come to be so much better than any fantasy she could think up. She thanked her real parents every night, and she only wished she could have met them. She was pretty sure that they were in cahoots with Beca's parents sending them such an amazing family that loved and adored one another to the fullest. Rosalie was the ideal big sister, and her brothers loved her. Noah rarely cried when he was around her, and her presence soothed each and every boy. Ellie and Rosalie were almost inseparable, and it was an ode to their two mothers, polar opposites but magnetically joined at the hip. While Rosalie enjoyed playing with the boys at the pond, getting dirty, and being Mama's little soldier, Ellie liked dress up and dolls with Stacie or other girly activities. Yet, the two girls always found compromise in the end and stuck together. Aubrey and Beca found it endearing, and it was quite a familiar sight.

* * *

Once the children were fed and dressed in their pajamas, Beca and Chloe gave them each a bowl of ice cream before leading them up to the west wing bedroom. Cynthia Rose and Benji were taking first watch, and they fist bumped Cal and Liam before the children entered. Granny Swanson followed, and the children settled on the floor. Stacie followed Beca in with Matthew and Ellie. She lay a sleeping Matthew in one of the two cribs, and Beca settled Noah into the second with a kiss to his forehead. The two brunettes then turned to their toddlers with stern looks.

"Okay, soldiers," Beca began. "You're all going to be really good for Granny Swanson, right?" The children nodded. "Ellie and Rosalie, you help with the younger ones, and do not give Granny a hard time. I'll be up to check on you soon. Finish your ice cream then get ready for bed."

The children nodded again as Beca made her rounds, kissing each of them on the head softly, including her niece. Stacie did the same to the four before following the captain out with a swift "thank you" to Granny Swanson. Beca then clapped a hand on Benji's and Cynthia Rose's shoulders before heading back down and escorting Stacie to the ball room, Jesse and Lily joining her for maximum security even through the house.

"So..." Stacie started, giving Beca a sly look. "Do you have everything done for these next two weeks?"

"I think so," she sighed. "You know how hard it was trying to hypothetically question her? Aubrey got the most information, but it was hell for me. You know she can read me like a book, and then I had to memorize every answer she gave me and write it down when she wasn't looking."

"It will be fine, Becs. You're killing two birds with one stone, and we'll all be there. It will be private and beautiful. Have you even told her we're going yet?"

"Uh...maybe?" Jesse chuckled but said nothing.

"Becs! Come on. You have like a day. Don't worry though. We have the most important stuff already waiting at the house. Just let her know."

"Okay, sorry. I'm just not good at this stuff."

"Well get good, and fast."

As she said that, they came down to the first floor where Chloe met them. She took the opposite side of Beca and flanked Stacie.

"How were they?" she asked.

"They had ice cream," Beca scoffed. "They were just fine."

Chloe laughed. "That's right. I forgot."

"Hey, but the good news is that after this, Aubrey gets vacation time."

"Oh, yeah?"

"Yup. Since she's been working twenty-hour days and hasn't taken any yet, she gets her first taste. Therefore, we're all sleeping in tomorrow."

"How long do we have?"

"Two weeks. We're headed to Tahiti day after tomorrow." Stacie grinned.

"Oh my gosh, really? Oh I miss it so much! That's a bit short notice though, isn't it?"

"Yeah, short notice from Beca," Stacie snorted. "We told her weeks ago."

Beca glared at her. "It was going to be a surprise."

"Yeah...you're no good at those either."

As they reached the large glass doors leading into the ballroom, Beca and Jesse opened to allow Stacie, Chloe and Lily inside. Jesse and Beca would be manning those doors first while Amy and Denise had the front doors. Several more agents were at the front gates and every other entrance into the home. Yes, the top security detail for the leader of the free world and her family. Who better to direct it and choose applicants than her war-ridden sister? She was as hard to please as the blonde in these situations, and it was a good quality to have when choosing their security.

"You ready for this?" Jesse asked.

"The party?" Beca asked, but he gave her a pointed look, and she sighed in defeat. "I don't know, Jess. I mean, I am. I'm just-what if-"

"Don't say what you're about to say because you know that is an irrelevant fear. Look at what you guys have, okay? There is no way. This is definitely going to go down."

Before Beca could respond, she was contacted via her earpiece.

"Arrival commencing," Jessica's voice came. "Opening up the gates. Standby."

Minutes later, guests were entering the house. It was a black tie event of course, and many of the guests were older. They had the attorney general, the chief justice of the Supreme Court, the Marine General and several officers, members of the Senate as well as Congress. Vice President Jeffrey Donahue, who absolutely adored Aubrey and Stacey. He was an older gentleman but not by much, forty-five to be exact. He had cropped brown hair with streaks of silver, but he had a fit physique. His wife was Cara Donahue, and he had worked with Aubrey as a very colorful character of Congress, and she had immediately chosen him when she found that he was alive. He and Cara were accompanied by the rest of the presidential cabinet, her chief of staff for the estate, her presidential counselor, all councils of the executive office, and her senior advisors. Beca knew them all, and she had observed them the first time she was in a room with them all, gaging their character as well as Amy, their best judge of character by far. They had come away comfortable at the company Aubrey kept, and they were satisfied.

The guests greeted Beca and Jesse excitedly, knowing them from the Inauguration as well as prior from the many newscasts, magazine covers and newspapers. They were great American heroes, and they were just as well known as the president and first lady.

As the night went on, the team rotated, and Beca and Jesse landed in front of the children's bedroom shortly before midnight. Beca crept in, and Granny Swanson was rocking Noah. Beca smiled, striding over and kissing the little boy. She looked over to the two large beds in the room. Ellie and Rosalie lay in one, huddled up with each other as they usually were. On the other, Liam was asleep at the foot of the bed, one arm hanging off. He had always slept in the most haphazard positions, and Beca chuckled as she approached him. She gently lifted him and tucked him under the covers correctly beside his brother. She looked up to find Cal's sparkling blue eyes looking at her, and his smile widened when their eyes met. She couldn't help but mirror it. Those eyes did their job with each and every one of her kids, and the smiles were icing on the cake.

"What are you doing awake, Buddy?" she asked.

"I-I was waiting, Daddies," he whispered.

"Waiting for what?"

"I w-wanna see the wolf. Pweeeeaaasssse!"

Beca smiled as she thought about it, and she knew Cal would never let it go. It wouldn't hurt to show him in reality. At least that if there ever came a time she had to phase for their benefit, he would learn to understand. She decided she would have to discuss it with Chloe of course, but she was sure it would be fine. It wasn't as if she lost control in her phase. It was really her most controlled form out of the two.

"How about this?" she said to him, smoothing out his hair. "You go to sleep, and when we go to the beach this week, I'll show you the wolf, okay?"

"Pwomise!" he hissed with a grin.

"Well, I have to talk to your mommy, and you have to promise to keep it a secret, okay?"

"Kay, a sec-wet. Pwomise."

"Okay then I promise too. Go to sleep now, Buddy."

"Kay, night, Daddies."

"Goodnight, Son."

She kissed his forehead tenderly, moving shaggy chocolate locks from his face, before leaving the room silently and standing outside the door with Jesse. He smiled at her.

"What?" she asked with a sigh.

"Who knew Captain Cold-Hearted was so good with kids?" he snorted.

"Shut it, Swanson, 'cause I barely found out myself."

"Those kids adore you, Becs. They look up to you with that shine in their eyes, and it's a beautiful thing. I want kids. I do, but I just don't think I'm ready to balance this job and do that like you guys. You and Chloe are super Mommy and Daddy." She glared at him. The 'Daddies' nickname from Cal had pretty much stuck with the whole team, and they loved a good tease of course. Jesse went on quickly. "Then again, we're not getting any younger."

"Jess, we're not really getting much older either. The number changes, but our bodies are still that of teenagers."

He chuckled. "This is true. Wow, I just never thought all of this would turn out this way. I mean, who knew that two shifters could make relationships work so well? I mean, Ashley and I. CR and Denise, AUBREY AND STACIE! That one was a shocker for real. i mean they didn't talk for years, and then, boom! Our niece had a lot to do with it but still, not only did they give it a shot, but it worked perfectly. It's like a fairy tale."

"No one would know shifters could work aside from Chloe's parents because the only other one who tried ran away from it. Wow, she was definitely my mother then."

"Becs, you ran before, but you were a kid. You didn't run this time, and you deserve some credit for that. I know Chloe would think so, and so would my niece and nephews. You were handed four kids, and you didn't even flinch. In fact, Chloe made it a big point to stress that it was _you_ who had to persuade her, so stop beating yourself up. You redeemed yourself."

"You know, despite you being annoying and goofy and having my daughter running around quoting every cheesy movie in the world INCLUDING the Breakfast Club, you're a really good brother and a good uncle, Jess, so thanks. And you're a great marine too, so there's that, and trust me. You'll make a great dad."

"Thanks, Becs. It means a lot to hear that from you really. You're a great parent, and those kids are lucky to have you. I know they would agree. Oh, and about this weekend, everything is gonna be perfect."

"I hope so."

"Oh, I know so. You're legendary Captain Beca Mitchell. Who can deny you?"

She rolled her eyes. "You're a dork."

* * *

Once the ball had come to a close, the team escorted the guests out, returning all belongings as they drove out of the gate. The entire perimeter was then checked before the group of Barden police officers were excused from their posts. When the house had been thoroughly checked inside and out for any and everything that could be of danger including stowaway guests or maintenance men, Beca called into her radio, and all checked back that it was clear. They closed up both gates around the estate, and the team entered the home, the rest of the detail retiring to their homes in the neighborhood adjacent to the estate right outside the gates. Amy and Cynthia Rose armed the full-home security system before heading upstairs. Chloe and Beca made their way up the stairs followed by Aubrey and Stacie to fetch their children. Jesse helped his mother to her bedroom which was in the lower west wing but not before they put the kids in the nursery. The president's bedroom sat right in the middle of the house on the third floor with Cynthia Rose's and Denise's room to one side, and the nursery on the other. Chloe's and Beca's room flanked the other side of the nursery, and there were two doors within that led to either of the parents' rooms. Their closets also wrapped around the back of the room behind the nursery, so you would really have to get through the parents' rooms to get to the kids, and Aubrey and Beca were very light sleepers who were also armed with sound monitors and visual monitors. Good luck with that.

Granny placed Matthew in his crib as Chloe did the same with Noah then Stacie and Aubrey settled the girls in their bed, and Beca and Jesse came in with Cal and Liam. The two couples smiled as they gazed down at their children.

"This never gets old, does it?" Stacie asked, sliding an arm around Aubrey's waist.

"No, but they do," Aubrey reminded her, resting her head on her wife's shoulder.

"They're gonna start greying before we do, I think," Beca huffed. "That could be bad."

They chuckled. "Eh, we'll blame it on hair dye and face lifts."

"Or we can say we found the fountain of youth once before-"

"Shut up, Jesse," Beca and Aubrey snapped, Chloe giggling into her girlfriend's neck.

"Let's get to bed now," Chloe suggested, and the six adults made their way out of the nursery silently.

Chloe and Beca retired to their bedroom at last, removing their black suits and hanging up their jacket and tie. Beca flopped onto the bed after removing her pants and shoes and pulling on shorts and a tanktop. She placed her firearm in the drawer beside her place on the right side of the bed, always loaded and ready for anything. Chloe did the same before striding to the front of the mirror.

"It'll be good to escape this uniform for awhile," Beca sighed.

"So what are we doing in Tahiti?" Chloe asked as she unhooked her radio, unaware of how tense Beca had instantly become at the question, but the brunette recovered just as quickly and played it cool.

"Vacation stuff, Chlo," she replied as if it was the most obvious answer in the world, and it may have been had it not been for the death glare Beca noticed in the mirror directed at her. "W-well, we're gonna take the kids to the beach and stay in the old house. There's already a crew out there preparing it. We're going to have a bonfire and stuff like that. Normal stuff. We're trying to just give the kids a normal summer vacation. Ellie, Rosalie and Cal start school soon you know. Yeah, sure, it's just a home tutor, but it will still be extensive. The best and all. We want them to just enjoy something other than that first, to be normal kids, which reminds me. I-well our son, has a request that-"

"No."

"Chloe, just hear me out."

"No, Beca. That's not an experience for a normal kid. We can't. That-"

"What? You don't trust me around my son?"

Chloe turned to her now, eyebrows knitted together. "You know that isn't true, Beca. It's dangerous though, and what if he gets scared?"

"I will be my most gentle with him. I have the best of control in form, Chloe, you know that, and-I sort of promised him in exchange for him going to sleep earlier."

Chloe spun back around now. "Ugh! I can't believe you, Mitchell."

"Oh, come on, Babe." She approached her girlfriend now, snaking arms around her waist to her stomach. "I promise I will be very careful. I'll do it hidden away, and you can just bring Cal. Just, I promised him please, and he promised to keep a secret."

Chloe was silent for a long time as Beca lightly kissed her neck and shoulder. She tilted her head slightly to give the brunette better access until at last, she sighed.

"Only a few minutes," she puffed. "And I swear, Beca, you lay down and be very slow."

"Okay, a few minutes. Got it. I'll be extra careful."

"Okay."

The two were at last ready for bed, and they slid beneath the sheets. Chloe nestled into Beca's left side as always, her head resting on the brunette's chest as it moved up and down with each breath. The redhead's hand rested on her stomach, and her own arm was around Chloe's back, hand laying on her waist. She brought up her other hand and laced their fingers together upon her taut abdomen, kissing the top of Chloe's head tenderly.

"Thank you," Chloe hissed.

"For what?" Beca asked, eyes shut as she rested her head back slowly.

"For all of this. For raising this family with me and loving all of us."

"I think I should be thanking you. I wanted it."

"Honestly, Baby, I wanted it too, but I just didn't want you to rush into things and overwhelm yourself, but I'm glad that I was right. You did it, and we love you."

"I know. I scared myself too at first, and I questioned it, but I couldn't manage to hurt those kids by just handing them off that way, the way my mother did."

"I know, Becs, but it was still a very honorable thing to do. I mean, their real parents left them, and you couldn't. You, the great Captain Mitchell, attached to them."

"Why must you guys always bring the monicker into it? Jeez!"

Chloe giggled. "Force of habit. Sorry."

"Oh, yeah. I know. All those journal entries you know. You were obsessed with me."

"I was not!"

"Sure, Beale. You so were."

"I was-just intrigued."

"Hence, obsessed."

"Ugh, whatever. Let some air out of that head of yours."

"If it makes you feel any better, I found a picture of you in your room in Tahiti, and it's still around here somewhere. I carried it in my shorts."

"Now who's obsessed?"

"Shut up, Beale."

"Make me."

"Challenge accepted."

Beca leaned down, capturing Chloe lips in a kiss, bringing a silence upon the room. She deepened the kiss, pulling Chloe impossibly closer. When they at last pulled away, Beca smiled at her slyly.

"Challenge complete."


	18. Pep Talks and Dance Numbers

**_A/N: So I've decided that I really love this story myself as well as the family dynamic, so though the initial story has pretty much ended, I will continue to add fluff until I can no longer take it or until I have another story in mind. I mean, come on. These cute kids and their huge family have a lot to show us. Halloween at the White House, Thanksgiving, the first day of school, weddings, birthdays, their first real Christmas. Am I right or am I right? Lol are you guys good with that? I might do them as one shot stories or I may just keep adding to this story. if you have an adventure for our Conrad-Mitchell kids or the rest of the gang, dont be shy. Let me know. This chapter here includes a scene suggested by blue-wasabi24, and I think it went pretty well. but hey, let me know lol. BTW how was the STAUBREY endgame for you? Good? You good with that? Lol did I get you? Just wondering._**

Tahiti was impossibly more beautiful in the summer than it had been in the winter. The family landed on the beach in the the newly built and upgraded Air Force One right beside the beach house on the warm sand. The children were shaking with excitement, Rosalie climbing over Beca's lap to see out the window as they flew over the ocean. As they descended the stairs of the plane, each child held a hand of their parent, Rosalie and Cal flanking Beca. They wanted very badly to rush down to the beach, but Beca had stated they had to change into their new beach wear first. There were already several men around, personally hired by Stacie and Beca, preparing wood for that night's bonfire and setting up massive speakers upon the beach. The family made their way into the large house, which had also been renovated with extra space, and the children pulled their parents along to get dressed. Beca handed Rosalie and Ellie matching one-piece suits with a green torso and blue bottom to bring out each girls' eyes. Yes, Ellie's eyes were very similar to the hazel green of Stacie's, and they were stunning. Beca and Chloe then put matching trunks on Cal and Liam with Batman logos and a picture of the actual hero himself that the boys had picked out in the mall. Beca donned the same trunks and a black tanktop, and Chloe demanded pictures.

"All THREE of my boys look soooo adorable!" she gushed, snapping multiple pictures as Stacie and Jesse entered the room chuckling.

"We are not adorable, Chlo," Beca growled. "We're badass."

"Mama!" Rosalie screeched as she ran in, her flip flops slapping the carpet. "Language!"

"Apologies, Princess."

"Get in the picture, baby," Chloe prompted, gently steering Rosalie towards her them.

Chloe ended up snapping pictures of all of them, Noah as well then Ellie and Matthew then Stacie and Aubrey thrown in, and soon, James, still an agent in their detail at Aubrey's request, was snapping pictures of the entire family. At last, the kids became impatient, and Rosalie tugged Chloe away. Beca picked Liam up and walked down the stairs holding Cal's hand. Granny Swanson put the two infants in their dual stroller, and Benji had been able to get an age for them as well. Noah was now eleven months, and Matthew was ten months. They would be celebrating Noah's birthday on the trip as well, settling on a birthday close enough to his original birthdate to the doctor's calculations. Both boys sat up in their stroller, but they too were slow in developing, so they only crawled now. They did babble a lot however. The family had celebrated Liam's official first birthday at the end of January before the real work began, and Ellie and Rosalie would both celebrate their fifth and fourth birthdays in December. Cal's birthday had been settled the same as Beca's on Benji's calculations, which freaked them out, but Cal was super excited. They would both celebrate in October, just before Halloween. He had actually flashed the correct amount of digits on their first meeting though, so he would in fact be turning four like his sister. Of course, no one argued with Rosalie, who still fancied herself the oldest and big sister despite the fact she was smaller than Cal, and her brother didn't mind at all...yet.

As the team finally made it on the beach, Aubrey, Stacie, Chloe and Beca waded into the water. Liam was now latched onto Beca's back, and Cal had her hand gripped tightly. As soon as his feet touched the water, he was yelling, first in terror and then in excitement. Granny Swanson had the video camera going, and she laughed as Cal splashed around. Liam had a look of horror on his face as the water first touched him, because of course he was on his shorter mother's back, but as they waded deeper, he loved the feeling. Rosalie and Ellie were already back on the shore after a few minutes starting on a sand castle with their Aunt Ashley and Uncle Jesse. Cal was engaged in a water fight with his Auntie Stacie and Uncle Benji very quickly, and soon he was on his Aunt CR's back for an advantage. Liam finally wanted off of his mother's back, so that he could play in the shallow waves with his brother. Chloe headed over to her girlfriend's side, wrapping an arm around her waist and resting her head on the brunette's shoulder. Beca threw an arm over her shoulders as they watched their kids.

"This is amazing," the redhead sighed dreamily.

"Yeah, it is," Beca agreed. "The best thing ever. You wanna see something cool though?"

"What?"

Before Chloe could look up though, Beca's leg had swiped hers from beneath her, and she was dunked back into the water. When she emerged, Beca was doubled over in laughter as was Aubrey. Suddenly, Aubrey was tackled into the surf as well, Stacie jumping back up and giggling.

"You're gonna get it, Conrad!" Aubrey growled as she emerged.

Before Aubrey could run after Stacie, she was tackled again, a head spearing her thigh. Beca released her quickly and jumped up, giving Stacie a high five. The two were then blind-sighted, knocking into each other as Chloe barreled into Stacie. Both brunettes landed underwater as Aubrey and Chloe shared a high five now. It went on like this for about another hour before they all jogged back up to the shore. The sun had begun to set, and they settled on towels atop the sand to watch. Cal collapsed in Beca's lap, and Liam cuddled into her side. Rosalie sat between Chloe's knees, and Jesse passed around juice pouches and Oreo packages. Chloe rested her head on Beca's shoulder. As they watched the sunset, the crew had finished digging out the fire pit and were assembling the wood, showering it with lighter fluid. The children were in awe at the millions of different colors in the sky, and Ellie and Rosalie pointed each one out with Aunt Denise's help. The small blonde was in between her parents, leaning on Aubrey's thigh. Noah sat curled into Chloe's side, and Stacie held Matthew. Their many aunts and two uncles were gathered around them, a habit as their security to encircle them. It warmed their hearts to see children who had grown up inside of a cage and in foster homes be so happy and open to their new lives. They were joyous and excited, and they had not let the scars of the past take their innocence. They had even been able to revive a bit of Beca's as well, and everyone appreciated it greatly. Her smile could still light up a room, and now it did so more often.

* * *

As night fell, the fire was going, and Benji and Jesse were on the grill. The family had gathered around the fire, and Beca had set up a playlist on the massive sound system. Chloe hadn't noticed how increasingly nervous the small brunette was getting as she was busy playing games with Ellie and Rosalie, but Beca's leg was shaking viciously, and Aubrey had finally come over and put a hand on it to still the limb. At last, Jesse announced that dinner was ready, and the captain jumped up to serve the kids.

The family sat around eating hot dogs and hamburgers, indulging in more juice pouches with the kids, while Amy told her more G-rated Tasmanian stories.

"But Auntie Amy, don't crocodiles bite?" Rosalie asked.

"Not when you're as skilled as your Auntie Amy, shortcake," Amy replied. "You gotta get them around the neck, see, one hand clamping their jaws shut. They'll fight to the end, but you have to maintain your grip."

"That sounds scary."

"Eh, you get used to it. It isn't as scary as being surrounded by stingrays. Those could kill you. Or sharks. They're just like...RAH!"

Amy lunged forward suddenly, and both Ellie and Rosalie screamed, hiding their faces in their mothers' chests. Beca leaned forward and slapped a laughing Amy upside the head hard.

"Ouch!" Amy whined. "Jesus, what the heck!"

"Don't be scaring them that way!" Beca barked.

"Never gets old though."

Once dinner was finished, the team began their karaoke rounds, taking turns singing songs and having a great time. Of course, Rosalie and Chloe had to sing "The Sunshine Song", and Ellie joined them. Stacie and Aubrey sang some Beyonce song, and Jesse and Benji did a very impressive version of "Magic" by B.O.B. By this time, Beca was beyond nervous, and she excused herself into the house. Aubrey noticed this and followed her quickly, careful for Chloe not see. She found Beca in the kitchen, leaning over the sink.

"Hey, Cap, you're almost up," she informed her softly, taking on both her big sister and mother approach she had learned carefully over the last few months.

"Yeah," Beca breathed. "Yeah, I know."

"Becs, you've killed demons and Iraqi dictators. You've been raising four children. You SAVED THE WORLD! What could you possibly be scared of?"

Beca laughed weakly now. "I-I don't know. I'm just-this is big. What if it isn't enough? What if-if she-"

Aubrey clapped a hand over her little sister's shoulder now. "You can't be serious, baby sister. Do you really believe that? Chloe loves you more than anything. You already have a family. It doesn't get any scarier than that. Just trust me. She is so in love with you. I mean, who was the one that told Stacie to go for it? Who was the one that told her that we have a family, and that is the scariest part, to commit to children together? You told her it's what we both deserved in the beginning, to be happy and truly loved. You gave her the coveted little-sister stamp of approval, and she trusted you. You calmed her down. She was scared as all hell of me, and you just about held her hand through the proposal."

"Well, where's that bitch at so she can hold MY hand?"

Aubrey swatted her arm. "Do not refer to the first lady as a bitch, and she already learned the song, so if you want her up there, she'll be there."

Beca nodded instantly. "Yeah, yeah, I do."

"Okay, well, we'll meet you outside. You're up right after CR and Denise. Oh, and here."

Aubrey handed her a small, velvet black box and squeezed her fingers around it before patting her shoulder once more and vacating the room. Beca stared at the box a few moments before sliding it into the pocket of her trunks and gulping down a glass of water quickly. When she heard her name being called by CR on the mic, she took a deep breath and headed outside. Stacie had already taken one microphone, and as Beca approached her, CR handed her the second one with a warm smile. Aubrey slung an arm around Chloe as they moved closer to their two partners. Rosalie, having a hunch that this was very important, took her two brothers' hands and stood in front of their mother and Aunt Aubrey. Beca took a deep breath as the song started.

**_Sometimes it feels like, I'm gonna break_**

**_Sometimes this world, gives more than I can take_**

**_Sometimes, sunshine gets lost in the rain_**

**_And it keeps pouring down_**

**_It just keeps coming down._**

Stacie settled on singing soft backup vocals for the choruses, and Beca stood gazing over at Chloe, their eyes locked on one another. Chloe was beaming. It was a song that Beca had sung at the top of her lungs, the song that her mother had told her would be reserved for someone very special when she was older. Chloe knew it word for word, and she could not be more flattered.

**_This life would kill me If I didn't have you_**

**_I couldn't live without you baby_**

**_I wouldn't want to_**

**_If you didn't love me so much_**

**_I'd never make it through_**

**_'Cause this life would kill me_**

**_This life would kill me if I didn't have you._**

**_You are my heart, every breath I breathe_**

**_I'm safe in your arms, you rescue me._**

**_When I'm weak, you're strong_**

**_If you were gone I don't know where I'd be_**

**_You were made for me_**

_(You were made for me)_

**_This life would kill me If I didn't have you_**

**_I couldn't live without you baby_**

**_I wouldn't want to_**

**_If you didn't love me so much_**

**_I'd never make it through_**

**_'Cause this life would kill me_**

**_This life would kill me if I didn't have you_**

As the music broke down, softening, Beca stepped forward, and Rosalie moved her brothers out of the way of Chloe. Aubrey stepped aside too, and Beca took a knee in front of the redhead, who was now bursting with tears, a hand clapped over her mouth. Beca pulled out the small black box from her pocket and flipped it open.

**_If you didn't love me so much_**

**_(If you didn't love me so much)_**

**_This Life would kill me If I didn't have you_**

**_(This life would kill me)_**

**_Couldn't live without you baby_**

**_I wouldn't want to_**

**_If you didn't love me so much_**

**_I'd never make it through_**

**_'Cause This life would kill me_**

**_This Life would kill me if I didn't have you_**

"Chloe, I love you with all of my heart and soul, and I want to grow sort of old with you and raise our already half-grown children with you until their eighteen then retire somewhere and take baths together, so-will you please be my wife?"

"It's about time!" Chloe blurted the moment she uncovered her mouth.

Beca's face fell. "Keep it up, Beale, and I'll take it back."

"Mommy, be nice and say yes!" Rosalie scolded.

Chloe broke into a megawatt grin, slowly nodding. "Yes. Yes, Baby, I'll marry you."

"Good, because the wedding is Friday," Aubrey revealed as Beca stood and slid the ring around her finger.

"What!" Chloe shrieked. "No! There's so much to do, and we...oh, so that's why you guys kept asking me all of those questions, and Beca's been so awkward! All of you were in cahoots!"

The group chuckled. "We just figured that since this may be the only real vacation we've had in awhile, and the whole family is already here, we'd set it up."

"Mommy, are you getting married!" Rosalie asked in delight.

"Yes, bug, we are," Chloe replied before looking back at her fiance. "You are-ugh, you're going to be the death of me, Mitchell."

"Then we'll die happy together," Beca shot back.

Chloe shook her head, but she could not mask the smile on her face. She thought she had been happy before, but no happiness had anything on the feeling that was currently engulfing her body. She pulled the brunette into a searing kiss, and Rosalie instinctively put her hands over her brother's eyes, turning her own away. Jesse and the others bit back a laugh as Stacie slyly snapped a picture of the entire scene. Everyone clapped afterwards, and the rest of the night commenced as a celebration. They would have the wedding Friday night, Noah's party would be Saturday which they would most likely celebrate with Matthew as well to make sure they had the chance, and the week after would play as the honeymoon for both the Conrads and the Mitchells, and they didn't mind having their children around for it one bit.

* * *

The following day was a mess of Chloe and the women talking over the wedding plans, Chloe making modifications where she saw fit. Beca, Jesse and Benji took the children out onto the beach, and they played in the water awhile until they sat up on the sand for lunch. When they were finished, Beca told them they couldn't play in the water again for an hour since they had just eaten, an old remedy of the ages.

"Daddies, I-can we see the wolf yet?" Cal asked his mother in a whisper in her ear.

"Soon as Mommy's done at the house, okay, buddy?" she asked, ruffling his hair.

"O-okay, uh, Daddies, I wanna ride a horsey."

Jesse and Beca gave him a curious look. "A-horsey?"

"Yeah, like on TV. A horsey."

She looked at Jesse. "You watched 'Spirit', didn't you?" Jesse only shrugged, sipping at his juice pouch. Beca thought a moment then sighed. "Okay, buddy."

She got down on all fours, and Jesse gave her a bewildered look. She just smirked at him.

"Okay, buddy, hop on," she said, lowering herself before him.

The boy giggled. "Daddies, you not a horsey."

"Yes, I am. Just watch. Come on."

He gave her a questioning look but at last climbed atop his mother's back.

"Hold on," she said, giving a whinny like a horse, which made the boy and his uncles laugh. He held on to the straps of her tanktop, and she began trotting around on all fours over the sand. Soon, the children were lined up for a ride, and Jesse and Benji filled in as two more horses. They didn't notice all of the women now standing on the porch, and Stacie and Granny were of course video taping. The three soldiers were whinnying and bucking gently beneath the squealing children, and Aubrey and Chloe laughed heartily but quietly so as to not disturb the scene. Cal was holding onto his mother for dear life now as she increased her speed, his arms clasped around her neck as she ran along the sand.

"This is more fun than a real horsey!" Rosalie squealed from atop her Uncle Jesse.

"If only you knew, kid," Beca huffed with a chuckle.

"Oh my God!," Aubrey burst. "They can instantly turn into humongous beasts of prey, and instead they're running around acting like ponies right now! That works on soooo many levels! The real thing would have surely been a sight to see."

"Maybe, one day, we'll let them do that," Stacie quipped.

"Well, Beca does want to show Cal the wolf," Chloe told them. "She promised him, so we'll probably do that tonight, and I'll tell you how it goes."

"Really?" Aubrey asked. "Oh, goodness. That-wow."

"Yeah, but Cal won't know it's her, and she's the most gentle creature around us, so I've finally become comfortable with the idea."

The kids rode around on their "horseys" for awhile longer before the women at last made their presence known. Cal and Liam dismounted Beca and ran toward their redheaded mother.

"Mommy! Mommy!" Cal cried. "Daddies a horsey!"

"Oh, really, buddy?" Chloe chuckled, embracing them both as they reached her.

"Yeah, Mommy, it was fun. You try."

"Oh, no, honey, daddies is really small. I might-"

"Pweeeeeassseee! " Now all of the children were begging her, and Beca gave them an unimpressed look, but gave in.

"Well, come on, Babe," she huffed, getting back down on her hands and knees. "They did ask nicely."

Moments later, Chloe had a tight grasp on the straps of Beca's tanktop as the strong brunette raced around the sand with the redhead atop her. The kids were all cheering, and the adults were doubled over in uncontrollable laughter, Stacie still trying to record although the camera was as shaky as her body. Chloe at last jumped off, and her children ran into her arms.

"Okay, flat butts, my turn!"

Amy quickly pushed through the crowd, but as she stalked towards Beca, the brunette's eyes widened. She jumped up and darted down the beach with Amy chasing her. Jesse and Benji were on the floor by now, clutching their sides as they laughed inaudibly now, out of breath. Stacie ran after Amy and Beca to keep the footage rolling as Aubrey and Chloe fell over each other in laughter. Rosalie now took off after them screaming "Auntie Amy, don't squish my Mama!" with fear in her eyes.

"NO! NO! NO!" Beca was screeching up and down the beach, arms flailing wildly in the air and a look of pure terror adorning her features. "Please have mercy!"

"Give me the horsey! I wanna ride on its back!" Amy growled as she charged around the sand, and then she noticed a very angry little brunette screaming at her, and she turned on the jets. "Vertical running! I'm vertical running!"

Beca descended into the ocean at this point, running along the edge of the water until Amy at last collapsed on the sand beside the porch, spread eagle, huffing a breath. She let out an "oomph!" when Rosalie belly flopped atop her.

"Auntie Amy, please don't squish my Mama!" she begged. "She's the bestest Mama ever, so please don't squish her."

As the others let out an "awww", Amy just dropped her head back onto the sand.

"Deal, shortcake," she panted. "Now, please, I'm getting up. I'm getting up. No need for that."

Rosalie jumped up off of Amy and rushed to Beca who was now stumbling back up the beach. She ran into her mother's arms, nearly tackling her to the sand.

"Don't worry, Mama," she assured Beca. "I got Aunt Amy."

Beca chuckled. "I see that. Good looking out, Bug."

Beca ruffled her hair, picking her up and walking back to the group out of breath.

"Your daughter is definitely taking after you with the ruthless protector role," Aubrey told her. "She wouldn't let up for anything."

"That's good," Beca breathed, smiling at Rosalie. "That's a good Marine."

"Yeah, just like you, Mama. Cause you saved us from the bad man."

The group grew quiet as Rosalie looked at her mother with the brightest twinkle in her grey-blue eyes, and they smiled, Chloe and Aubrey nearly bursting out in tears.

"Mama," Rosalie now whispered conspiratorially, and the others had to strain to hear her the way they always had to with Lily. "Wh-what if-is that man coming back for us? Do we have to go back home with him?"

Beca held her tighter, stroking her hair before she kneeled down, setting the little girl on her feet and taking her shoulders.

"You listen to me, okay, Bug?" Rosalie nodded, a tear escaping her eye, which Beca wiped, and the others' eyes were glossy now. "That man, and every other bad man out there, they can't hurt you anymore, okay? You're staying here with Mommy and your brothers and me forever. I will never let anyone hurt you. What did I tell you about boys?"

"Don't let them touch me cuz Mama knows how to hunt and use a gun," she recited triumphantly, and her mothers, aunts and uncles giggled softly.

"So you know that Mama and Mommy and Aunt Aubrey and Uncle Jesse and all of your other aunts and Uncle Benji will never, _ever_ let anyone hurt you or Ellie or Matthew or your brothers, okay? We love you way too much."

"You-you love us? But-we came in a cage."

Now the tears were falling heavy, and Chloe bit back a sob. "Honey, you didn't come from a cage. You were in a cage, but you came from God, and he put you there, so that Mama and Mommy could rescue you. Do you remember what I told you when I went back for you?"  
"When you was hanging from the plane!"

She smiled. "Yeah, when I was hanging from a plane. I came back for you because I knew that you were special. You know, I had a mommy and daddy too, and they're with God now, but they sent me back for you. I told you I would catch you, remember?" She nodded. "And I always will. When you fall off your bike or you fall over a rock or you-fall in love, Mama's gonna catch you even if no one else does. You know why?"She shook her head. "Because you're my little princess, and I love you with all of my heart, and I will never let anyone hurt my little princess."

"Do I get a crown!" She grinned through her tears, and Beca smiled, only then noticing that her own cheeks were now soaked as well.

"I can definitely arrange that. You just know that Mama and Mommy love you, and God sent you to us from up in the stars and the clouds, so that you would be loved always."

"Okay, Mama. So...was I an angel?"

"I don't know if I'd go that far," Amy now piped up, but Aubrey rammed an elbow in her side. "Ow!"

"Yes, baby," Beca went on with a sniffle. "You are my little angel, and I love you."

"I love you too, Mama, but...why are you crying?"

Beca snorted a laugh. "Because you're crying, and it's making me cry, and I never cry. I'm a bada-I'm strong, and you're strong too."

Rosalie reached up and wiped the tears from her mother's face. "Mama, I'll stop crying if you stop crying, okay?"

Beca donned that megawatt grin. "That's a deal, Bug."

And with that, Rosalie crashed into her mother and hugged her as tight as she could, and Beca wrapped her arms around her little girl.

"That was beautiful," Aubrey sniffled.

"Don't worry, Babe," Stacie whispered to her. "I got it all on tape."

"We're truly blessed, aren't we?"

"Yes," Chloe answered now. "Yes, we are."

"We finally have a life outside of that body."

"Yeah, and this is only the beginning."

"Mama, Mommy?" Ellie now came to her mothers. "Do you-know how to hunt and gun too? Like Auntie Beca?"

The group laughed. "Yes, Baby," Stacie replied, bending down to pick the girl up. "Yes, we do, and when you're older you will too because no one messes with a-a Conrad-Mitchell-Swanson-Dean-Carter-Eldridge-Apple baum-Wilson-Richards-whatever-Lily's-last-name-is. " The group laughed heartily now.

"Um," Ellie said slowly with wide eyes. "What the heck is that?"

"It means, no one messes with this family, Squirt," Amy informed her. "We're like the Beasts of the American East. We're soldiers. We're-we're-"

"We're titanium," Chloe filled in. "We're strong."

"That's right," Beca sighed. "And don't you forget it."

* * *

After dinner, Aubrey and Stacie took the children up to the playroom for movie time with Uncle Jesse and Uncle Benji although Beca had warned them no Star Wars. The only one that stayed with his redheaded mother was Cal, and he was giddy in his seat. Chloe had whispered to him that they were going to see the wolf soon, and he had been jumping up and down in her lap with excitement. Beca came down the stairs wearing shorts and a tanktop, and she was barefoot. She had taken off any extra things to make it easier for herself. She approached her fiancee and son.

"Okay, buddy," she whispered to him. "I'm gonna go get the wolf behind the house then Mommy's gonna take you out there, okay?"

"Okay, okay!" he squeaked. "But shhh, Daddies, is a sec-wet."

"Got it."

She kissed his forehead then headed out of the back door. She made her way into the trees. The crew had already been dismissed for the night to their temporary bungalows a ways down the beach. Beca did check the perimeter anyway before stripping down. She smiled. It had been quite awhile since she had shifted, and she couldn't deny that she missed it at times dearly, but her children filled the void very well. She closed her eyes as her body began to numb, and seconds later, she looked down to find the familiar chocolate paws below her. She smiled.

"Okay, Babe," she thought. "We're all good. Bring him down."

"Copy that," the redhead replied.

A few minutes later, she could hear excited whispers from her son and fiancee, and she laid down in the clearing, watching the small trail. Chloe appeared, Cal grasping her hand. When he first caught sight of Beca, he gasped then yelled a bit, but then he was all smiles, and Beca donned her lopsided grin.

"Mommy! Mommy! It's the wolf!" he hissed.

"Yeah, baby, it is!" Chloe played along.

"But-where daddies?"

"Daddies is around here somewhere, I think. She'll come in awhile. Do you want to pet the wolf?"

"But, Mommy, wolves have big 'teefs'."

"Yes, but this is a very nice wolf. You only pet this wolf okay? Her name is Cutie." Beca had the urge to growl as Chloe chuckled, knowing Beca's dislike for such titles, but Beca controlled herself for fear of scaring her son.

Cal slowly inched toward the wolf, and Beca bowed her head into her paws, giving a low whine. Cal gasped once more.

"She talked, Mommy!" he gushed.

"Yeah, I think she likes you. Say hi."

"Hi, Cutie!" Beca rolled her eyes as Chloe giggled again.

"Yeah, hi, Cutie."

"Cut it out, Chlo," Beca thought, and Chloe gave her a devilish grin. "I know where you sleep."

"Well, I know where you _won't _be sleeping if you don't lose the 'tude."

"Dully noted."

Cal at last reached Beca, and he lifted a hand very slowly before resting it on the giant wolf's snout. He began to pet it slowly, releasing Chloe's hand and sitting down in front of the wolf. Chloe smiled, immediately snapping a few photos for the family's own personal indulgence.

"You a nice wolf," Cal whispered to the beast. "I like you. Mommy, can we take her home please?"

"Well, if we take her home, then we can't have daddies. Which do you want?"

Beca eyed her son intently now, waiting his answer. Cal sighed and turned back to the animal with apology in his bright blue eyes.

"Sowwy, cutie, but I miss my daddies, so you can't come home, okay? Don't be sad, but I want to keep my daddies."

Chloe's heart swelled at her little boy, and Beca's did as well. She gently licked the little boy's face, and Chloe suddenly gasped, but instead of panicking, the little boy giggled.

"That not work, Cutie," Cal said sternly when she ceased. "I still want my daddies."

Cal stayed a few more minutes petting the wolf and talking to it about nothing specific until he finally looked up at his mommy with tired eyes.

"Mommy," he said softly. "Can I have my daddies now? I want daddies to sing to me."

Chloe smiled at the little boy, picking him up in her arms.

"Are you done playing with the wolf?" she asked.

He nodded quickly. "I just want daddies."

"Okay, let's go find daddies then. Say bye to Cutie."

"Bye, Cutie!" he said quickly, waving back at the wolf. "Um, can you pwease find my daddies fo' me and tell him its time fo' night night, pwease? Thank you."

Chloe kissed her son's forehead with a giggle and headed back to the house. By now, Beca was tearing up as she phased back. She threw her clothes on quickly, and she wanted to hold her son more than anything now. That little boy was everything to her along with his siblings, and she could not believe just how smart and adorable they were. Never had she thought of having a soft spot for anyone, much less five strangers from the moment she first met each of them. It was both amazing and terrifying, but she wouldn't trade it for anything. She rushed towards where her fiancee and son had disappeared, and she caught up to them.

"Hey, bud," she whispered to Cal, who was resting his head on his mother's shoulder.

The little boy looked up, and his eyes grew wide.

"Daddies!" he squealed, struggling to get out of his mother's grip, and Beca took him in her arms. "Daddies, I see the wolf! She big. Her name Cutie, but Cutie have to go home, 'cause I want my daddies."

"Oh, son, you wanted me instead of the wolf?"

The little boy gave her a disbelieving look as if it were the dumbest question. "Daddies! I love you!"

Beca chuckled, hugging her son to her. "I love you, too, Buddy."

* * *

Friday arrived with haste and a whole lot of chaos. Jessica and Ashley had been put in charge of getting the two flower girls, Ellie and Rosalie, ready. Benji and Jesse, both best men, were to get the suits on Liam and Cal then Noah and Matthew in dress shirts and slacks. The crew was setting up all of the decorations, putting together the canopy, and setting up seats. The chief justice himself had flown out to do the wedding. Aside from him and the family, Rick Fields, Staff Sergeant Reynolds, Vice President Donahue and Cara, James, Mack and several other friends, including quite a few from the old military company who had turned up alive, had come to witness the beautiful ceremony. Even General Hammond, who idolized Beca, had come with his wife, Tara. It was the most beautiful backdrop ever there on the Tahitian beach, and Chloe was in one room with Aubrey and Stacie half an hour before everything began, giddy with excitement. She wore an elegant strapless white dress, her hair in a long french braid then pinned at the back of her head. Meanwhile, Beca was with Jesse and Cynthia Rose now pulling on her Military blues, more specifically the blue-white summer dress uniform, which she had determined much earlier that she would be both married and buried in. Jesse attached each of her medals to the long blue jacket as Cynthia rose fastened the white belt. She wore white trousers, ditching the gloves usually worn, and navy blue dress shoes. The suits of her sons matched by color, and Jesse and Benji wore the same uniform as their captain as well as Cynthia Rose. Aubrey, the Maid of Honor, and Stacie and the other girls, bridesmaids, all wore the navy blue dresses to match the uniforms, strapless yet billowy and elegant like Chloe's dress. It was a charming sight, and Beca's nerves were more in anxious excitement than fear now. Her sons stayed beside her the entire time Jesse latched on each medal, his goofy, boyish grin permanent on his face. He even donned two small medals for each boy, and both of his nephews squealed with glee then stood still as their mother had when he put them on. Granny Swanson, the only parent of the family really left, would walk Chloe down the aisle as she had walked Aubrey down the aisle, and no one was against it whatsoever. With fifteen minutes before the start, Beca and the boys headed outside as David Guetta's "She Wolf" began to play, the first song Chloe ever sang to her, because remember, Beca Mitchell is neither traditional nor orthodox in any sense of the word. We don't do the wedding march 'round here.

Beca shook Justice Hollis's hand as she reached him, Liam and Cal lining up with their uncles, each boy holding a ring as if their lives depended it on it. Beca had specifically told Justice Hollis that she didn't want any traditional speeches but something completely spontaneous, and for a man that used to be a beat boxer and a breakdancer before joining the judicial system, he assured her that wasn't a problem at all.

Beca eyed the small crowd as they sat there, Jessica, Lily and Denise staying at the back in order to video tape and take pictures. At last, "She Wolf" faded out, and "Just the Way You Are" began to play. All eyes were drawn to the end of the aisle. Rosalie smiled wide as she appeared with Ellie at the end of the aisle. Then Chloe and Granny Swanson appeared with Stacie and Aubrey close behind, and Beca could not believe how stunning the redhead looked. The sunset hit her hair so that it looked like it was on fire, and her blue eyes popped against fair, tanned skin. Her full, red lips shimmered, and with no veil, Beca was at the mercy of all of her beauty. As the song faded out, Granny Swanson gave Beca Chloe's hand.

"This girl is on fire!" Beca sang as she took in her fiancee, eliciting a giggle from everyone. "Wow."

"Good evening, everyone," Hollis greeted as the sun began to set. "We are gathered here today to witness the tying of the knot between these two storied heroes. They met under grave circumstances, fighting in a war for their country and their lives. Chloe Beale was the sought-after daughter of our late president-turned-traitor Evan Beale, and Beca Mitchell was the all-American badass Marine who was known for her track record in combat. Yes, they came from two different poles. Chloe being bright and bubbly and giggly." Everyone chuckled. "Beca was-well, quiet and sarcastic and scary at times."

"Whoa, dude, ease up," Beca hissed. "I said spontaneous, not insulting."

He only smirked. "Two polar opposites coming together to create something beautiful. They started a family, rescuing children from a horrid fate and loving them with every fiber of their being despite losing their own parents. That didn't stop them. They led a family of extraordinary soldiers, marines, to victory, risking their lives for love. Little Rosalie, little Cal, little Liam, and baby Noah softened up the heart of the most feared captain the military has ever known, but they had help from Chloe here."

"Okay, Dude, wrap it up. You're starting to quote my vows."

Another chuckle. "Very well. On with the vows, Mitchell."

"Okay, I didn't mean throw me off the deep end." She cleared her throat. "Well, as my better half, you know I am horrible with words, but I'm getting better. I, uh, I sing now. My family knows that. I haven't sung since I lost my parents, but I-I sing all the time now. Yes, even in the shower, but you would know, wouldn't you, Red?" Chloe grinned. "I smile now, genuinely. My smiles were once few and far between, and usually came with ulterior motives. I laugh now, like really laugh. I used to cringe at the sound sometimes unless Amy was spewing off some Tasmanian legend or Jesse was acting like a woman." Yet another chuckle and a scowl from Jesse. "Yeah, that has a lot to do with the kids, but Chloe, I wouldn't even have considered being a parent had you not opened up my heart the way you did. I was closed off, reserved, scared of everything but masked it with snark and recklessness, ruthlessness. I wouldn't open up, and yet, the first night we met, I told you I lost my parents. No one else in the entire squad knew that, hence the weird looks I got when I blurted it out. You had me from the beginning. You hadn't even said hello yet, and I'm going to strangle Jesse for getting cheesy movie lines in my head. Anyway, yeah, you taught me how to deal with the past and how to let go. I went through a lot. I found that I didn't just have a very pragmatic, uptight, angry-all-the-time best friend. I had an uptight, crazy, yelling-at-me-all-the-time big sister." Now the scowl came from the opposite side of the aisle. "Yet, you made me understand. We communicate so well. It's like we know what the other is thinking." Their team smirked. "We're two halves of one heart, one soul, and I love you so much that at first, it hurt. We were in the midst of a battle, and love could get you killed, but you let me take the risk. You stood beside me risking your life even when I told you not to because you wanted to be strong for me for once. I had always been the rock of the team, and you wanted to give me a hand, and everyone knows you. You don't take no for an answer." A chuckle. "You said 'hand me your heart, and no one gets hurt', and you've kept that promise. We have a beautiful family, and I could never have dreamed this up in all my days, so thank you, Red, for making the broken road I traveled through all these years worth it. I promise that until the day I take my last breath, I will love and cherish you and treat you like the queen you are."

Everyone clapped, tears already falling, and Chloe gave her a wide grin.

"Okay, Miss Beale, your turn," Hollis prompted.

"Okay," she breathed. "Well, where do I start? You know, it's still hard to believe we're here. I'm here with you. Yeah, I heard of you long ago before we met, the great Captain Beca Mitchell in all of her glory."

"She was a bit obsessed," Beca stage whispered, and everyone chuckled.

"Hush, I talk, you listen from now on. I knew from the first time we met their was a story behind those eyes that had yet to be uncovered, and I _love_ a challenge." A laugh. "You were like a rubix cube, Becs, or the Da Vinci Code, but it was always a fun ride full of surprises. I knew then though that we would have something special. We were so much alike that it was crazy. You were so protective of me, always looking over me and never leaving my side. You always tried to leave me behind to fight for fear of me getting hurt, but you knew as well as I knew I would be there beside you. You said I was your mirror. Well, you sang it to me, but same thing. We stayed parallel at all times, and we have formed a bond that I never imagined I would find with anyone. I read about love in fairy tales growing up. I expected a knight in shining armor, but I was more than relieved and excited to get a naked marine. Don't ask." The team understood and chuckled louder than any other. "Yeah, though. Our children and I were blessed with a fearless marine in a kevlar vest and camo pants and then an eyepatch eventually, and it is so much better than any knight or prince charming. Ask your son. He's seen the real you, and he loves you more than anything. He wouldn't trade you for the world. Not even a pet wolf."

"True that, daddies!" Cal piped up, and the audience cracked up.

"See. True that. Because you are the best partner and parent anyone could ever ask for, aside from me, you know." More laughter. "I'm kidding, but you are, Beca. We are so completely blessed that you chose us, of all people, to love and cherish and want to spend your life with. You chose us, and we just waltzed into your life. You were sent to save us, to protect us, not to love us, and you chose us, and for that, we can never thank you enough. I see the look in our kids' eyes when they look at you. It's the same way I look at you. Like you have an 'S' on your chest."

"Ugh, Chlo, try a bat," Beca groaned. "Much cooler."

The crowd chuckled yet again. "Okay, Batman, you're like our own action figure, the real thing. Our superhero, and we adore you to pieces. Even if you deny up and down that you aren't adorable, you're miniature, fun-sized, so you are very adorable." Beca groaned again. "No matter what though, Becs, even with your one eye and your many battle scars and your sarcastic comments and your wild imagination of being a horsey, I vow to always and forever love you long after we leave this earth, and though I know I'll never have enough time with you, I vow to use every single second that we _are_ given loving you."

"Longest vows ever," Beca sighed playfully, Chloe swatting her arm.

"Okay, now, the rings," Hollis said, and Liam and Cal handed him the rings quickly. "Now, Chloe Abigail Beale, do you take Captain Beca Faith Mitchell as your lawfully wedded marine to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, in battle or in peace, in success and in failure, to love and to cherish; from this day forward until death do you part?"

"Oh, I do."

"And Captain Mitchell, do you take Chloe Abigail Beale as your lawfully wedded wife and trusty sidekick to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, in battle and in peace, in success and in failure, to love and to cherish; from this day forward until death do you part?"

"Oh, I definitely do."

"So with that, I pronounce you captain and wife. You may now kiss your bride."  
Beca didn't hesitate jerking Chloe forward and pulling her into a bruising kiss. Cal and Liam covered their own eyes this time, and Jesse ruffled their hair.

"Everyone," Hollis boomed. "I give you Captain and Mrs. Mitchell!"

The crowd stood, applauding the couple as Beca held Chloe close, their eyes locked.

"Hello, Mrs. Mitchell," Beca said softly. "Mmm, that sounds good, Chloe Mitchell."

"Yeah, I'm glad I finally got to dump the 'Beale'." Chloe returned.

"Oh! So you just married me for my last name!"

"Darn, and I almost got away with it!"

"Oh, you can have it, in exchanger for..." She trailed off, meeting Chloe's lips with hers.

"Deal, Captain Mitchell."

"Okay, let's party!" Jesse announced.

Minutes later, the bonfire was going, the music was playing, food and drinks were available and the children were playing in the sand near the porch, Granny Swanson watching them with a smile on her face.

"Okay, guys," Jesse came on the microphone after dinner. "Now it's time for the newlyweds' first dance and duet as a couple."  
Chloe and Beca were given headsets, hand-free microphones so they would be able to dance and sing at the same time, Chloe's brilliant idea. As the song began, Beca smiled widely. It was another song Chloe had sang to her shortly after they arrived home, one she had fallen in love with. They began to dance around the makeshift dance floor of raised tile. Chloe took the first verse and chorus as everyone watched intently.

**The day we met,**

**Frozen I held my breath**

**Right from the start**

**I knew that I'd found a home for my heart...**

**... beats fast**

**Colors and promises**

**How to be brave?**

**How can I love when I'm afraid to fall?**

**But watching you stand alone**

**All of my doubt suddenly goes away somehow**

**One step closer**

**I have died everyday waiting for you**

**Darling don't be afraid I have loved you**

**For a thousand years**

**I'll love you for a thousand more**

Chloe smiled at the captain as the brunette took the next verse and chorus, and every woman, including Jesse, was tearing up now. Beca's eyes never left her wife's.

**Time stands still**

**Beauty in all she is**

**I will be brave**

**I will not let anything take away**

**What's standing in front of me**

**Every breath**

**Every hour has come to this**

**One step closer**

**I have died everyday waiting for you**

**Darling don't be afraid I have loved you**

**For a thousand years**

**I'll love you for a thousand more**

Now the couple joined in together, holding each other close, their foreheads resting together as their eyes locked in heavenly bliss, their children grinning as they watched.

**And all along I believed I would find you**

**Time has brought your heart to me**

**I have loved you for a thousand years**

**I'll love you for a thousand more...**

**I'll love you for a thousand more...**

**One step closer**

**I have died everyday waiting for you**

**Darling don't be afraid I have loved you**

**For a thousand years**

**I'll love you for a thousand more**

**And all along I believed I would find you**

**Time has brought your heart to me**

**I have loved you for a thousand years**

**I'll love you for a thousand more**

The song faded out, and all of a sudden, Beca stepped away from Chloe with a chaste kiss to her lips. Jesse, Benji, Stacie and Cynthia Rose joined her on the dance floor, microphones in hand. Chloe stood next to Aubrey, watching in awe as the next song came on, and Beca's group began dancing. Beca had found some rhythm somewhere along the way Chloe hadn't noticed, and she was moonwalking and all now, singing with as much soul as she could muster with the tune.

**_Give me your, give me your, give me your attention, baby_**

**_I gotta tell you a little something about yourself_**

**_You're wonderful, flawless, ooh, you're a sexy lady_**

**_But you walk around here like you wanna be someone else_**

**_(Oh whoa-oh-oh)_**

**_I know that you don't know it, but you're fine, so fine (fine, so fine)_**

**_(Oh whoa-oh-oh)_**

**_Oh girl, I'm gonna show you when you're mine, oh mine (mine, oh mine)_**

**_Treasure, that is what you are_**

**_Honey, you're my golden star_**

**_You know you could make my wish come true_**

**_If you let me treasure you_**

**_If you let me treasure you_**

Chloe and Aubrey were shaking with the music now, and Cal, Liam and Rosalie were dancing in front of their short mother to the tune. Everyone was clapping and enjoying the routine, and Granny Swanson was manning the video recorder now. Beca and Jesse did some sort of sequence of moves, Beca dusting off his shoulder before he bent down, dusting off her shoe. She then pulled him up by his collar.

**_(Whoa-oh-oh-h-h-h)_**

**_Pretty girl, pretty girl, pretty girl, you should be smiling_**

**_A girl like you should never look so blue_**

**_You're everything I see in my dreams_**

**_I wouldn't say that to you if it wasn't true_**

**_(Oh whoa-oh-oh)_**

**_I know that you don't know it, but you're fine, so fine (fine, so fine)_**

**_(Oh whoa-oh-oh)_**

**_Oh girl, I'm gonna show you when you're mine, oh mine (mine, oh mine)_**

**_Treasure, that is what you are_**

**_Honey, you're my golden star_**

**_You know you could make my wish come true_**

**_If you let me treasure you_**

**_If you let me treasure you_**

**_(Whoa-oh-oh-h-h-h)_**

**_You are my treasure, you are my treasure_**

**_You are my treasure, yeah, you, you, you, you are_**

**_You are my treasure, you are my treasure_**

**_You are my treasure, yeah, you, you, you, you are_**

Back ran forward now, sliding on the floor before doing a breakdance spin move of sorts, landing with her head propped casually up by her elbow atop her hand.

**_Treasure, that is what you are_**

**_Honey you're my golden star_**

**_You know you could make my wish come true_**

**_If you let me treasure you_**

**_If you let me treasure you_**

**_(whoa-oh-oh-h-h-h)_**

When the song and dance ended, Chloe rushed into Beca's arms, peppering her with kisses, that old megawatt grin fixed on her face.

"That was great!" she gushed. "Best wedding gift either."

"Well, that was cheap and easy," Beca sighed in mock relief.

Chloe slapped her arm. "Be nice, or you won't get YOUR gift."

"Got it."

Rosalie ran up to her mother now, hugging her leg tightly.

"That was great, Mama," she gushed.

"I'm glad you approve, honey," Beca said, kissing her daughter's forehead.

"But you should've sing the sunshine song."

"We really need to get you a new favorite song," Beca deadpanned now.

The dancing and singing proceeded through the night, and once the kids were asleep, Beca and Chloe changed into shorts and a t-shirt at Beca's request. Beca then took her wife's hand and led her out of the house and into the forest.

"Is our first time as a married couple gonna be on a hammock?" Chloe asked.

"No," Beca chuckled. "Just come on."

When Beca was in the clearing that she had been in when she showed Cal her wolf form, she began to strip, gesturing her wife to do the same. Chloe gave her a curious look but complied. A few seconds later, Beca had shifted, and Chloe had followed suit. Beca darted deeper into the jungle, and the copper wolf followed closely. They came to the opposite shore of the island, away from tourists and everyone else with a bright moon overhead, and Beca slowed to a trot before resting on the sand as waves crashed in. Chloe hunkered down, nestling into the chocolate wolf's side.

"It's been awhile since we've done this," the redhead pointed out lazily, resting her head beneath Beca's.

"Yeah, way too long," Beca agreed.

"You miss it, don't you?"

"Yeah, sometimes, but only because it was the first real-addiction I ever had. My stress relief and all that when I lost my parents. It was all I knew."

"Well, I didn't get to use mine as long as you did."

"We'll have to start setting up a schedule."

"What happens if we stop shifting?"

"Well, I know that we would age faster and all that."

"Are there anymore like us?"

"Not from what we know. We've never sensed any others, and it seems that all of our parents kept a tight circle, but who knows."

"I really hope we are. You ever think that-maybe we should have a child of our own? Maybe it wouldn't be so bad having a shifter? You know, just in case the world is in trouble again."

"Slow down there, Mrs. Mitchell, let's raise our first four."

Chloe giggled. "But have you thought about it?"

"Yeah, I have. I guess it's a bit selfish to keep the world from having heroes, and it isn't like they'll be alone. When Ashley and Jesse or Benji and Jessica have kids, I mean, they'll be stronger. They'll be like us, so our kid wouldn't be alone, but now that we have four, I wouldn't want them to feel different."

"Galbraith, right?"

"Yeah. I mean, of course I don't wanna think that my kids would be so power hungry. We'll raise them better than that, but it would still probably make them feel different."

"Yeah, we'll leave this conversation for a later date."

Beca chuckled. "I love you, Mrs. Mitchell."

"I love you too, Captain Mitchell."


	19. We All Deserve a Happy Ending

**_A/N: So here is your ten year epilogue to round it out here. Im not sure how good it is, but this is the last chapter. HOWEVER, I will be starting another story where I write one shots based on this family and their good times between the last chapter and this one. Plus, I'm starting another high school fic that I hope will be good for you. Once again, thank you to everyone who stayed with me! I appreciate it and love you all!_**

The door quietly opened to the master bedroom, bright blue eyes illuminated in the dark. Beca, always the light sleeper, opened her own stormy blue eyes, or eye that wasn't covered by her nighttime eye patch, and looked up. She smiled sleepily.

"What's up, Baby Blue?" she asked hoarsely, sitting up.

"I had a bad 'dweam', Mama," the little two-year-old sniffled. "Rose won't wake up."

"Come here."

Two-year-old Abby padded across the floor and jumped into her mother's open arms. She was the youngest of the seven Mitchell children. Abigail Jade was a blue-eyed redhead, hence the nickname, and the spitting image of Chloe, but she was as shy and reserved as Beca. Chloe had carried her as well as her four-year-old twin brothers Adam Ray and Leland Harrison. Both boys had stormy blue eyes and brown hair like Beca. They had never expected to have more children of their own, much less three, but six years after the marines had rescued America from Galbraith, scientists and doctors had found a way to fuse the DNA of both women and create a child, and both the Conrads and the Mitchells had been set on trying it. It had worked like a charm. Stacie and Aubrey had three more children as well in addition to seven-year-old Matthew and eleven-year-old Ellie at the time. Both Gwen and Jenna, one-year-old twin girls now, had brunette locks like Stacie and bright emerald eyes like Aubrey, who had carried them. Four-year-old Gavin had honey blonde hair and hazel-green eyes, a bit darker than his sisters but identical to his brunette mother's. Stacie had carried him.

It had been ten years now since they had arrived back home and Aubrey had been sworn in as president. The blonde had completed two terms, in which she had completely revived and upgraded America as a whole. The economy was thriving, the military was a force to be reckoned with, Japan was off their case, and the family was at its strongest. Jesse and Ashley had three children at the ages of eight, five and two; Gabriel, Carly and Leah. They also had another on the way. Jessica and Benji had two boys named Ollie and Tyler, ages eight and six. Cynthia Rose and Denise, after tying the knot, took the same approach as the Conrads and Mitchells, and they came away with three girls and two boys; Emily, Tyra, and Erin all a year old, Devin now three, and Tyson at four. They had also adopted a boy named Freddy when he was four, and he was eleven now. Granny Swanson remained around, still helping with the children as much as possible as well as housework. She dwelled in a nice-sized pool house outside of Jesse's house at her request. At fifty-two, she was still in good shape. She had started working out with all of her "children" early on, and she felt great. Amy and Lily, who had actually tried out a relationship since they were the last two standing and had failed miserably since Amy was too loud and humorous and Lily was too quiet and-creepy, stayed around as loyal aunts to the other children, and they helped in a big way with so many little ones running around. Believe that Amy had the time of her life both scaring them and making them giggle until they had tears running down their face.

It wasn't a fear anymore that their children would be shifters. They planned to be around long enough to see them grow and help them understand, unlike their own parents. Beca was now thirty-five, and Chloe was thirty-two, but they didn't look much different than they had a decade prior. They weren't any less in love and all over each other either, to their children's chagrin. They had all kept to the plan of building houses along the Conrad Estate, and they had purchased more land to have enough room for the children to grow and play with tree houses, sandboxes, playgrounds sets and such. They taught the older children to hunt and fish. Ellie and Rosalie, now fourteen and fifteen and still inseparable, knew how to shoot guns now. Aubrey and Beca were both slightly worried about how much time they spent together, and they weren't sure how weird it would actually be if the two girls that had been labeled as cousins loved each other more than just best friends. It sure seemed that way. Ellie had already admitted to her mothers that she didn't like boys, and she was much more girly than Rosalie, who still ran around in camo pants and combat boots. She also wore swim trunks now like her brothers and brunette mother, and she was a tomboy through and through. Beca always joked about the day she would ask to cut all of her hair off, which had in fact become only a shade or two darker than her redheaded mother. Chloe would slap her arm, but to be honest, Beca was just as terrified of that day.

"What did you have a bad dream about, Baby Blue?" Beca asked softly, running a hand through the wild ginger locks upon her daughter's head.

"I-I don't know," she muttered, nuzzling into Beca's neck.

"Do you wanna sleep with us, baby?" Chloe's voice now came, heavy with sleep and eyes still closed.

"Yes, pwease."

Chloe moved over a bit and patted the space between her and the brunette. Abby nestled into the small space, and she was very tiny just like her mother. Both of her parents kissed her forehead before she drifted off to sleep seconds later. Beca looked over at her wife now, whose vivid blue eyes were now trained on her.

"You want anymore?" Chloe asked with a giggle, reaching over and entwining their fingers. "I think I'm good for one more."

Beca chuckled. "I'm sure you are. You're body doesn't even change."

"Are you saying I kept it tight?" She wiggled her eyebrows playfully.

"Gross...but yes. I can't deny that."

"It's a special talent of mine."

"So are the innuendos, Mrs. Mitchell. You've been around Amy too long."

"We can both agree on that. Are you ready for tomorrow?"

"You mean today? I've been ready for months now."

Today was the big annual family hunting trip where Jesse, Jessica (because Benji's not much for it, but his wife surely is), Stacie, Cynthia Rose and Beca took all of the older boys and Rosalie into the woods east of the property. They had all taught their children at the ripe age of six or so to shoot a bow and arrow the way Beca's father had taught her, and the annual hunting trip was always an adventure.

"You better take care of my boys, Captain Mitchell," Chloe warned.

"You better take care of my girls, Officer Mitchell," Beca shot back.

"Copy that."

Beca's eyes slowly slid shut, and she could swear it had only been a few seconds before the door to their room opened again.

"Daddy," a voice called softly, and Beca sat up. Cal had never given up the 'Daddy' title even now that he was fourteen and perfectly understood the difference. Beca was the father figure in their life after all. "Daddy!"

"Yes, son, I can hear you!" Beca hissed back.

"Oh, cool. It's four a.m. on the dot, Captain. Time to move out."

"Is your Uncle Jesse up yet?"

"Yeah, he just flashed his porch light back at me three times."

"I swear, that man is turning my children into nerds."

"Well, at least they have you to even it out," Chloe smirked, sitting up now. "Granny Swanson and the girls should be here soon, so we can make you boys breakfast and lunch to take."

"Is your sister up?" Beca asked Cal, rubbing her eye as she swung her legs over.

"Oh yeah," Cal replied. "She's already dressed and packed up. We put all of our equipment by the door already, so no worries, Pops." Yeah, he used Daddy in every variation. "I got the coffee pot started for you too."

"That's my boy. What about Liam?"

"He's been up since three. In the den. Singing." Liam was most like Chloe for sure.

"Ugh, please tell me he wasn't singing Miley Cyrus again. I can't believe she survived."

Chloe swatted her arm. "Beca, that isn't nice."

"Sorry, babe, but so true."

"Daddy's, right, Mom. If I had to choose between saving Miley Cyrus or Justin Bieber from an oncoming train, I'd make a sandwich."

"Cal Jackson Mitchell!" They had finally chosen middle names too.

"Sorry, Ma."

"Where's Noah?" Beca asked as she stood.

Noah had been the baby of the family before the twins, but he had been a big surprise when he got bigger. He was talking before Liam was, but Liam eventually said his first word, "Daddies" of course, on Beca's birthday, and she claimed it was the best gift ever. Noah had had the same first word at his birthday party the day after his parents were wed, but the biggest surprise came in the form of stormy blue eyes that yet again matched his mother's and light brown hair that looked fiery red in the sun. He was reserved as well in the way he didn't talk much after he found that he could, but he was like Chloe in the way that he expressed himself through his actions rather than words. He barely told his parents he loved them, but he hugged them and kissed them all of the time with his megawatt grin that lit up a room. Even now at eleven, he was the same, and the only ones he really talked to openly were his best friend Matthew or his big sister Rosalie. She was still the one to calm him easiest.

"He's in the kitchen with Rose making chocolate milk," Cal replied. "Well come on, Daddy-O, let's go. If we don't leave before Adam and Leland get up, they're gonna cry for two hours like they did last year, and I hate not being able to take them with us."

Beca and Chloe would always admire how well their children got along with not only each other but the other Marine family children. They were as close as their parents, and the fact that they came in two different ways had never been a factor.

"Okay, Buddy," Beca said, already pulling on her camo pants and boots. "By the way, what _was _you're brother singing?"

"Well, try more along the lines of Michael Jackson."

"Wow, that far back, huh? We taught them well, Chlo."

"You know it."

Beca at last made it down the stairs where Rosalie was inspecting her prized bow, Liam was moonwalking through the kitchen and Cal was pouring his parents their coffee.

"How does it look, Rose?" Beca asked, proud of her daughter's deep love for hunting. She was clad in an outfit matching the boys and Beca with camo pants, combat boots, a camo hat, sunglasses, black tanktop and vest with a jacket on standby. Winters in the mountains could get chilly.

"Shiny as new, Ma," Rosalie replied, smirking at her mother, a trait Chloe chastised Beca for constantly. "I replaced the string on yours too."

"Thanks, Baby." She kissed the teen's forehead. "Liam Cole Mitchell, what in the world are you doing?"

"Come on, Daddy-O," Liam huffed, following his big brother with the title. "I'm learning some moves over here."

"It's hunting season, Son. I need a game face."

Liam slid on his cap over his thick brunette locks now smoothly. "Game face en route."

The kids loved using their military lingo. "Affirmative."

Half an hour later, Granny Swanson, Aubrey, Chloe, Denise and Ashley were in the Mitchell kitchen preparing breakfast and lunch for their spouses and children. Ellie had decided not to go on the hunting trip yet again, but Stacie tried every year nonetheless. Aubrey had not been able to go being busy all the time, and she had promised next year. This year, she wanted to stay with the twins. Jesse, Beca and CR were going through their yearly checklist of everything they would need.

"You act like you're staying over night," Aubrey scoffed. "Or leaving far. You're like a hundred yards away from home."

"Shut it, Conrad," Beca sniped. "Do not judge our traditions. We might just camp out there actually."

"It's like ten degrees at night."

"Yes, because I would know."

"Yeah, why are you guys always burning up anyway?" Cal asked, not looking up or seeing every adult in the room freeze momentarily.

"It's a gift, Son," Beca at last recovered. "As Marines, we grew thick skin and immunity to the cold."

Cal quirked an eyebrow but sighed in resignation. "Whatever you say, Daddy-O."

At last, they loaded up the Suburban and two large trucks. Beca would be taking her jeep as well. It was her good luck charm, and she loved it more than anything else material. Each of the families had to admit they had done well for themselves. Jessica, Ashley and Denise had reopened the coffee shop though they were barely there. CR and Stacie still had the club, but they usually ran it from home as well. Beca and Chloe were songwriters now, and they had helped revive the music industry. They had even released a CD the year after they retired from the secret service, and it had been a hit. Jesse was a freelance screenwriter and movie scorer, and Benji helped him out. Benji also helped out at the local hospital here and there as he was in fact the best around, and they had renamed it the Benjamin E. Applebaum Medical Center, but he did it less and less so as to raise his boys. Amy was still doing standup comedy around town and in Atlanta, and Lily had become less scary and more outspoken, sadly after her and Amy broke it off. She resorted to watching a lot of Criminal Minds, but she worked with the police department now as a certified detective. All in all, the family was happy with their twelve-year plan and how it was going ten years in. No one could complain.

The hunting excursion left their homes as dawn broke, their wives, and Benji, waving after drawn out goodbyes. Rosalie sat beside Beca in the jeep, and Liam. Noah and Cal sat in the back. The scenery was beautiful leading out into the woods, land that Beca and Jesse had purchased specifically for hunting. As they came to their usual spot out in the woods, the team unloaded silently, Beca throwing her quiver across her body as she grabbed her bow. Her children followed suit. Stacie and Matthew joined them, and Noah stood beside his best friend. He was always part of their group. They always broke up into groups of two or three aside from Beca's group. Beca, still captain after all this time, directed traffic with a gloved hand in all directions before moving her own group of four forward. Jesse and Gabriel went one way. CR and Freddy went another. Jessica and her two boys moved on into the trees. They had multiple hunting blinds set up around the area, and Beca led her children to one that was up in a tree. They climbed up and settle in.

"Okay," she hissed. "Each of you pick a number between one and ten. Whoever is closest gets first shot."

For three years running now, Rosalie had received first shot, but this was the year that Liam finally won, and he held in a yell of excitement, ever the overly enthusiastic one. He readied his bow as Rosalie settled beside her mother, and they waited. Beca loved the serenity of bow hunting. There were no extremely loud gunshots that scared the rest of the animals away. It was all so elegant and skilled. They were hunting deer. Rosalie and Cal had been wanting to hunt beer, and they didn't understand why their Uncle Jesse always had this sour look on his face when they brought it up, but for that, their mother refused to allow that with a smirk.

They sat in there for hours, patience for such a sport learned and instilled at a very young age. They knew it was a long wait, and as the morning grew into noon, the family indulged in the lunch of sandwiches their mother had prepared them. They had left the chips at home as always due to how loud it was. They had brought Amy along once, and she had been crunching so loud that they didn't see an animal until they sent her off to find Jesse. One of the Mitchell dens in their home however was still brilliantly decorated with many racks of prize bucks, mounted along the walls. They also had an alligator-skin rug since they couldn't have a bear-skin one, and Amy had been rather excited about it. It was another delicacy in Georgia to hunt alligators, but when asked to perform jump rope with them, Amy explained that they were different from crocodiles. Therefore that wouldn't be possible.

At last, just a few minutes after one as fog set in, a large buck trotted into the clearing below the Mitchell blind, and Liam carefully rose up to position himself. As he did, two more buck and several doe entered. Beca tapped Cal and Rosalie, gesturing down to the herd of deer below. Cal and Rosalie didn't need to be told twice. This was a rare occasion. They would all be taking a shot together. Beca grinned now as her children poised to shoot, a perfect form learned from her with ease. Their faces were contorted in deep concentration, and their eyebrows were knitted together. They hips were squared up, and their arms were taut as they pulled back on the bow, arrow now in place. Beca held her breath as they each called a target and took aim. The moment that the third buck moved to leave the other two open, and he turned to the side as well where his heart was exposed, three shots let off. Cal's buck dropped instantly. Liam's scampered off a small ways before dropping, and Rosalie's didn't even exit the clearing. The siblings high-fived one another as Beca patted their shoulders.

"Those are my babies," she hissed. "Come on."

They descended to the ground once more to check out their prizes. Beca inspected each one before dragging the two who had tried to run back to the clearing. She looked over each spread before grinning up at her youngest son present.  
"Liam wins this year," she assured them, and Cal and Rosalie huffed while their brother grinned widely. "Sixteen points, buddy. That's beautiful. This one's huge. Rose had a ten-pointer, and so did Cal. You know what that means."  
"It means I get to mount mine next to Daddy's this year!" Liam squealed, throwing his hands up. "I'm the king of the forest!"

"Pipe down, kid," Beca chuckled. "You're gonna give your Aunt Stacie a heart attack if you scare off her kill."

Stacie was indeed a very competitive hunter. Who would've guessed? She wasn't up to par with Beca yet, but the Conrad Den did look very similar.

As Beca strung up the bucks carefully to the back of the jeep, Jesse appeared with Gabriel, a medium-sized deer in tow. He flashed his goofy grin when he saw Beca, and his jaw dropped when he saw Liam's deer.

"Jeez, Cap, look at you overachieving this year," he chuckled.

"Oh, no, Jess, that was all your nephew," she informed him. "The bubbly one."

"Oh, really! Nice job there, Liam!" Liam gave his uncle a high five. "Gabriel brought in a ten-pointer. It'll make for some good jerky." It was what the family lived for during hunting season, fresh deer jerky and more specifically, the jerky that Chloe and Ashley created with different spices and such. "Mmm, I can't wait."

Night fell before the entire team returned, each group with something in hand. Stacie had three bucks in tow, one from each of her group, but all were astounded in seeing Liam's, and the kid was over the moon with excitement, not like that was a surprise. Jessica and her boys came back with two, little Tyler sadly missing his shot. CR and Freddy returned with a beefy twelve-pointer as well, and one thing was for sure. There would be more than enough meat for the whole family, even Amy.

The family had planned on camping out in the woods, but with so much meat in tow, they decided to take it all back to the hunting shed Jesse and Beca had also built and camp closer to home. When they arrived, they unloaded their keep, and the oldest of the kids helped their parents skin the deer and remove the antlers to be mounted later. Beca mounted each of her children's kills, but each year, the one with the biggest take had theirs mounted on her personal wall in the den. To them, it was an honor. To her, it was an easy way to wager with them.

Once the meat was stored in the walk-in freezer at the back of the shed, the adults began setting up tents and a fire beside the lake that Beca had sat at so many times. It was a few hundred yards from the Mitchell home, the furthest one back, and Beca and Chloe had made it a habit once a week of phasing and coming out there. Sometimes the Conrads or Swansons joined them. Once a month, it was all of them, and Granny Swanson, aware of their abilities of course, would keep an eye over the kids while the group went out on a hunt or just a walk. Jesse brought out some meat to cook over the fire, and it wasn't long before Aubrey and Chloe noticed them out there and came over with Amy. The younger children were already in bed.

Liam was quick to show his mother his trophy, and she clapped in joy with him. Beca chuckled. They were one in the same in her eyes. Chloe kissed each of her children before settling down beside Beca. They gathered around the fire with their kids as Jesse prepared the meat.

"Daddy-O," Cal said. "Why don't you and Aunt Aubrey tell us a story about the marines?"

"Haven't we told you all of those stories?" Beca asked in disbelief. "I swear I wrote them all out for you."

"There has to be more. Come on, Pops."

Beca looked at Aubrey a moment, pondering.

"Ooh!" Amy burst suddenly. "Remember when we found Beca and Stacie-"

"NO!" Beca, Aubrey and Stacie immediately interjected, and Chloe gave them a weird look. Of course, Beca had hinted about her "arrangement" with Stacie back then to her wife, but she wasn't sure if Chloe had ever understood fully, and she wouldn't say it bluntly aloud.

"What about when Aubrey was a dol-" Jesse began, but then caught himself just in time. "Oh, never mind. Wrong story."

"Daddy, we read about you in our history book, you know," Liam piped up, looking at Beca now with bright eyes. "It said you took down a dictator in Iraq, and they kept you prisoner for thirteen months before you did."

Beca's eyes bulged. Never had she heard that their mission had been put in history books, but then again, she shouldn't have been all too surprised. It was indeed a large part of history. She had been away that the mission with Galbraith was now included in all new textbooks, but she had explained the length of that situation to Rosalie and Cal when they were eleven or so. They didn't remember much about how their parents found them after all those years, but she had given them a heads up because the rest of the world was well aware.

"Well, son," Beca huffed. "Yeah, they stole me from the team, and they held me in a cell until I was able to get in contact with Aunt Aubrey."

"How did you contact her?"

"Smoke signals." Chloe elbowed her wife. "Kidding. Radio."

"Oh, and Aunt Aubrey came to get you?"

"Yeah, with Uncle Jesse and Uncle Benji and Aunt Amy and Aunt CR and the rest. They all came to get me."

"You killed him, huh? The bad guy?"

"I did what I had to do, Son. Is that what it says in your books?"

"Yeah, it just says that he had men trying to kill you, so you had to take him out."

"That's right, and that's the only reason I did it, to save lives."

"Yeah, you're a hero. Ask anybody. They have a statue of you at the new White House. And pictures too. In museums and all that, and there was a History Channel special. I DVR'd it. I'm proud of you."

"Thanks, Son. That's all that matters to me."

Liam gave his mother a toothy grin, and she ruffled his hair with a chuckle. Yeah, it had been quite a life so far for the group of marines, but there was nothing that they would change about it. With such a large family that included twenty-three kids and at least one more on the way, the family had a lot to keep them busy. They had kept a solid bond throughout the struggles and hardships. They disagreed. They argued. Beca and Aubrey still butted heads at times. Nothing was always perfect, but they survived. They made it through and stuck it out together. It had been hard running a country and all over said country for eight years, but never had they given up or felt discouraged. As long as they had each other, they were just fine. They always would be, and now, looking at her children, Beca could not be more thankful for all that they had fought through. It proved their strength, and her and Chloe had raised some awesome kids, ones who loved each other more than anything at the end of the day. She had done it. She had given them the life that had been snatched away from her, that Aubrey had been denied. She had given them a second chance, and they had the brightest smiles ever seen despite the dark past. I guess, in that way, they were just like their mother. Yeah, the great and fearless Captain Beca Mitchell.


End file.
